


Reparations

by alex_halcyon



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anbu Hatake Kakashi, F/M, Kid Uchiha Itachi, Konoha politics, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, Sasuke and Itachi and Shisui are important, Sasuke tries to fix everything, Shimura Danzou Being an Asshole, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Uchiha Itachi Being a Good Brother, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, like so far in the future, sasuke and sakura super far in the future, uchiha centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:21:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 30,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21877309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alex_halcyon/pseuds/alex_halcyon
Summary: There are many paths to redemption, and Sasuke Uchiha chose the one of reparation. After discovering long-lost secrets in the ruins of Uzushiogakure, Sasuke chooses to return to his childhood and affect the world in a new way. Changing destiny isn't as easy as it seems, even when he knows the deepest, darkest secrets of his enemies at home and away..
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 45
Kudos: 282





	1. return

It was just a passing thought on one of the afternoons that Sasuke's mind traveled back to wonder how things were going in the village. Sometimes the melancholic feelings he had whenever he considered Konoha prompted him to write to either Naruto or Sakura, but the thought stuck and no matter how many days and weeks passed, it wouldn't leave. Sasuke had seen enough and been through enough to know that it had to be possible. Nothing in their shinobi world was impossible - it just took figuring out the right formula, the right jutsu, the right power source. So he contemplated the idea more seriously, casting off theories that he knew wouldn't work and playing with ones that might.

It wasn't until his travels brought him to Uzushiogakure that his idea sudden became a very possible reality. He found himself shaking his head at the thought that Naruto still had so much untapped potential in his Uzumaki genes. The Uzushiogakure ruins were a minefield of seals and traps, but Sasuke had studied under Orochimaru who had been obsessed with all jutsu, including the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki. He couldn't believe that the snake hadn't managed to find his way deeper inside the ruins, but at the same time, he was indescribably relieved and happy that it wasn't Orochimaru that discovered the chamber deep inside the island.

Sasuke weighed the scrolls in his hand. After reading through the extensive research the Uzumaki had done, he knew he could do it. It wouldn't take as much effort as he thought, actually, it was surprisingly simple since he had the aide of the Rinnegan. His hesitation was whether or not it was _right_ to do. He deliberated for six days before he made his decision. In the end, he decided that he would go ahead and make his passing idea a reality. Sasuke had made many, many mistakes in his life and those choices he'd made had shaped who he was. Part of him whispered that he was selfish, a cheater. The path to redemption was supposed to be long and hard and unending, not something to be jumped out of just because he could. Another part of himself argued that what he was doing _was_ redemption, the chance to wipe the slate clean - not just for himself, but for those he loved.

So, on the sixth night, Sasuke slept well, resolved and determined. He waited until is chakra was completely replenished, and then prepared the seals. If his calculations were correct, he'd arrive there before things spiralled out of control in his life. Opening a portal, he applied the seals to it and felt the shift in its shape and form. The space dimension transformed into a time portal. His chakra was draining quickly and grimaced as he completed the seals with his own blood. Sensing it was complete, Sasuke took a deep breath and walked into the swirling darkness.

Sasuke Uchiha was going back in time, and he was going to fix everything.

•••

After stepping through the portal, Sasuke walked the time-road. He saw his life go passed him in reverse, faster than he could blink but so slow he could relive almost every moment. The road pushed and pulled against him, fighting against the unnatural reversal of time. He remained steadfastly on course, walking forwards ever deeper as he saw flashes of the most important moments and people in his life, all the way until his academy days when he felt the change around him. Things slowed and stretched, and he reached out, looking for something solid, something in the seemingly unending void. He found nothing but blinked in shock as he saw his hand was much smaller than it should be. He looked down at his body and saw that he was regressing. He was growing younger. His arm tingled as it regrew from his stump, and he stared at it with unease. He flexed his new, small fingers and then Sasuke was suddenly falling. He cast his arms out for something to grab onto, but there was nothing but infinite darkness. Panic raced through his heart, and he thought he had failed until he was suddenly jerked upwards and -

Sasuke's eyes shot open and he sat up quickly, clutching at his chest. He groaned in pain, his body _hurt._ All his bones and muscles felt like they were on fire. His heart pumped hard and fast, and he scrunched his eyes shut, gasping for air from his burning lungs.

"Sasuke?"

He flinched, hearing a familiar voice, but that movement caused an agonising pain to ripple through his entire body. He grunted, refusing to scream although he wanted to.

"Sasuke, are you all right?"

Itachi walked over to him and kneeled beside his bed, putting his hand comfortingly on Sasuke's back. Sasuke's _teeth_ hurt. He groaned again, unable to speak, but through the haze of pain, all he could think was Itachi was there, Itachi was _alive._ His brother rubbed circles on his back and Sasuke almost laughed in hysterics, but he managed to keep it down. He wasn't sure how long it took, but it had to have been at least ten minutes before the pain subsided. He managed to deepen his breathing and his body began to relax. He looked at Itachi, who had such a tender look of concern on his face that Sasuke's heart tugged painfully and he threw his arms around his brother's neck and hugged him tightly. Itachi was surprised at first, but then chuckled softly and hugged him back.

"Sorry," Sasuke muttered. "I'm 'kay."

He breathed deeply, taking in Itachi's familiar, nostalgic scent and slowly let him go.

"Are you sure?" Itachi asked him, looking at him with a frown. "You looked like you were in a lot of pain. Are you sick? Do you want me to call for mother?"

Sasuke shook his head. He felt a lot lighter than he remembered himself being.

"No. I'm okay, I promise. I'm not sick. It's just… growing pains?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. He didn't believe it, but he gave a slow nod.

"If you're sure…" he trailed off.

Sasuke nodded, studying Itachi. In the darkness, he couldn't see so well, but his brother looked to be about eight or nine, which meant he was about four or five. In a small voice, Sasuke asked if Itachi would stay with him. After Itachi's eyes widened almost imperceptibly he gave a small, fond smile and nodded.

"Let me wash my face first. I just got back from a mission," he said.

Sasuke blinked and then saw Itachi's clothes. "Okay," he said. "Promise you'll come back?"

Itachi poked him on the forehead and Sasuke felt a rush of heat to his cheeks and eyes.

"I promise," he replied and then left the room.

Sasuke watched him go and then let the threatening tears fall. It had worked. The jutsu had _worked,_ albeit very painfully. _Growing pains_ , he mentally scoffed. _Reverse growing pains, maybe._ He lay back down and waited for Itachi to return. He would be able to confirm everything he needed to in the morning, but for now, he was tired, he had succeeded, and his brother was here. His family was alive. Itachi quietly came back into the room and Sasuke scooted over in his bed to make room. Itachi slipped in beside him.

"Good night, Tachi," Sasuke whispered, unable to stop the happy smile on his face.

"Good night, Sasuke," Itachi replied quietly.

Sasuke drifted off to sleep; a dreamless, restful sleep.

•••

When Sasuke woke in the morning, he was disoriented. He felt off. He blinked a few times sleepily, faintly noticing that Itachi was gone. Then he frowned, wondering why and how that would have been possible, and a moment later, Sasuke remembered. He'd traveled back in time. He let out a heavy but happy sigh and glanced over at the clock, eyes widening when he realised it was almost lunchtime. He shot up out of bed and then stumbled, immediately falling on his face, not used to the lightness and smallness of his frame. Sasuke groaned and flushed red with embarrassment. He heard a feminine giggle come from his doorway and his heart thumped when he pushed himself up to sit and saw his mother standing in the doorway. She was _beautiful,_ smiling at him behind her hand. Her hair was long and dark he knew it was soft, he remembered the way it felt. Her eyes were looking at him with a mix of concern and amusement.

"Mother," he breathed.

His eyes immediately welled and he sniffed, wiping his eyes with his little hands, and at his nose with his sleeve.

"Oh, Sasuke. What's the matter, sweetheart?" Mikoto came into the room and kneeled before him.

"Nothing," he sniffed, wondering why he was so emotional and why he couldn't control it better. "I'm just, happy."

"Then show me a smile, Sasuke."

She took on of his hands in her and he looked up to see her beautiful, kind, motherly smile aimed at him. It had been so long since he'd seen it, and she was so warm, his response was immediate. He smiled a genuine, free smile that felt completely natural on his young face. His mother reached out to his face and wiped the tears away from his cheeks, her hands were soft but Sasuke knew that was only because she'd retired from the shinobi lifestyle. What kind of shinobi had she been, he wondered.

"Are you all right?" She asked. "Itachi told me you had a bit of trouble last night. Something about growing pains."

Sasuke frowned and pouted hearing his brother had told on him.

"I'm fine. He's exaggerating," he muttered. He glanced back at the clock. "Why didn't you wake me up?" His stomach growled and he flushed red with embarrassment again.

"Both Itachi and I tried to wake you up several times," Mikoto replied, her voice pointed. She stood, holding her hand out to him.

Sasuke was surprised, he hadn't realised he was sleeping so deeply. The time-travel must have taken it out of him more than he thought.

"Sometimes it's good to rest when you need it. I keep trying to tell your brother that."

He reached up and took her hand, seeing a flicker of concern on Mikoto's face when she talked about Itachi.

"So why don't we get some food for your hungry stomach?" Mikoto grinned.

Sasuke nodded and followed her into the kitchen, taking in all the sights around him with wide-eyes. It felt surreal, being here, being _home._ Sasuke hadn't felt the rush of pure happiness that coursed through his body in a long, long time. He ate slowly, watching his mother carefully, soaking in every moment with her, memorising every detail. When she questioned why he was watching her so intently, he just told her that she was beautiful and she flushed, a little confused but happy. After he ate his food and helped her clean up, for which he was rewarded with a kiss on the forehead, Sasuke went into the bathroom to take a look at himself.

He was expecting it, but it was still slightly jarring to look into the mirror and see his kid-self looking back at him. He was relieved his calculations had been correct. He was four and a half. Itachi hadn't activated his Sharingan yet, but he would soon. Sasuke took a deep breath. He had plans to make and he needed to be ready.

The regression of his body had not only affected his physical size, he soon discovered, but also his chakra. He wrinkled his nose when he found out; it would take years of training to get his chakra back up to the standard it needed to be. The drawbacks of his regression were also the loss of his muscle, endurance, and skill. He'd have to train hard, very hard. Also, he realised with some despair, he had lost his Sharingan and Rinnegan. Rationally he knew it was for the best, but he was not pleased by it. The only positive thing seemed to be that his mind was intact. He had retained his memories, and his mental processes were far more advanced compared to what they were when he was four previously.

Sasuke changed from his pajama's to a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals. He wanted to get out and see the village, check on some people, and then train to see his limits.

"I'm going for a walk," he announced to his mother, walking back to the kitchen, where she was putting away the dried dishes.

"Where?" Mikoto asked.

"The village," Sasuke shrugged.

She pursed her lips. "Why?"

Sasuke frowned. "Can I go? I just wanna walk."

She studied him for a moment and then gave a slow nod.

"All right, but you better be careful, and be home for dinner."

He nodded. "Okay. See you later," he waved.

"Have a good day, Sasuke!"

Sasuke didn't bother to look around the Uchiha District. Instead, he headed straight into the centre of the village, listening closely for the sounds of angry shopkeepers and the loud, annoying voice of an energetic and misunderstood child. It didn't take long for him to find Naruto. He watched from a distance as Naruto was given looks of disdain, following him as he made his way through the village, trying desperately to just feel something, find something other than hatred from those around him. Sasuke couldn't remain distant from him after he watched as Naruto was thrown out of a mask shop for no reason. Sasuke's hands twitched in anger. If only these people knew what Naruto would become for them. Just as Naruto was about to explode from frustration and confusion and hurt, Sasuke walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, looking up at the owner of the mask shop.

"Shut up, ugly old man," he said.

Sasuke felt Naruto try to jerk out of his hand, but Sasuke kept his grip on his shoulder. He continued to look at the flabbergasted man at the shop, who of course, recognised him as an Uchiha.

"You shouldn't treat people like that," Sasuke said after a moment. "He didn't do anything wrong."

"What the hell would you know?" The man, regaining his senses, snapped. "You're just one of those Uchiha brats."

It seemed the animosity between the village and the clan was closer to the surface than Sasuke had ever known before.

"Yes, I am," Sasuke replied evenly, holding his head high. "So shut up, you ignorant old man."

Sasuke glared at him. He could feel Naruto was staring at him, dumbfounded and also trying to figure out what Sasuke wanted from him. It grated on Sasuke that he was so suspicious of people trying to help him. He thought the Third Hokage was supposed to be looking out for Naruto when he was a kid. Just as the old man was about to say something else, Naruto ripped himself away from Sasuke.

"I don't need your help!" He shouted. "I can fight my own battles! I'm the great Naruto Uzumaki!"

"You're nothing but a demon," the man sneered.

"I am not!"

Naruto's desperate cry man Sasuke's hand twitch again. Now thoroughly irritated at both Naruto and the man, Sasuke walked forward to the man and kicked him hard in the shins. Sasuke heard the crowd that had gathered around them gasp but he ignored them. He couldn't do much as he was right now, but he could at least do this much. He turned to Naruto, who was gaping at him. Down the street, he saw police officers from his clan approaching to check out the disturbance. He grimaced when she saw them, he didn't want to get caught up in anything that might get back to his father yet.

"Come on," Sasuke muttered, taking hold of Naruto's arm. "These people are idiots. Let's go."

Naruto frowned but followed him.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked him when they'd run some distance away.

Sasuke paused. He hadn't even thought to introduce himself to his best friend.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he replied, holding out his hand to Naruto.

Naruto looked at his outstretched warily, and then he looked up at Sasuke, peering at him searchingly. Sasuke knew he was looking for the same judgment, the same revulsion, and disgust he saw in the other villagers' eyes. Naruto's own blue eyes wavered a moment when he didn't see it, and then he grinned broadly and took Sasuke's hand, shaking it with enthusiasm.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm going to be Hokage, believe it!"

Sasuke tilted his head and smirked. There was no harm in teasing him, just a little.

"Not if I'm Hokage first."

Sasuke spent the rest of the day with Naruto, and he was exhausted. He'd forgotten how energetic Naruto had been. Naruto at seventeen was bad enough. Naruto at four was _torture._ But things settled a little when Sasuke told Naruto he wanted to train. Naruto's eyes lit up. For the hour before he knew dinner would be ready and he needed to go home, he and Naruto trained together. Sasuke went through the basic taijutsu stances with him, knowing that Naruto was never going to focus on his chakra training - not that he needed to that much anyway - and he definitely wouldn't do physical training like push-ups and sit-ups at this age since he didn't think it was 'shinobi-like.' Naruto was the loser Sasuke remembered. Totally uncoordinated and completely useless, but Sasuke was patient with him - as much as he could be, he tried really hard not to lose his temper, but sometimes Naruto was just insufferable. Despite that, when he saw the look on Naruto's face, he knew that it was the first time Naruto had ever been treated like an equal.

"So how'd you learn all that stuff, Sasuke? You know lots of shinobi things!" Naruto asked when Sasuke declared training over. His body was already sore.

"My brother," Sasuke replied with a hint of pride. It wasn't a lie, Itachi had shown him some things, just not as much as he'd shown Naruto. "He's a really good shinobi."

"That's super cool!" Naruto exclaimed. "I don't have a brother or anything. Must be nice."

There was a hint of longing in his voice, and Sasuke saw that Naruto was looking at the ground. He pursed his lips.

"Are you hungry?" He asked after a moment's thought.

Naruto looked at him and nodded.

"Come on," Sasuke said, walking off in the direction of his house.

"Where are you going?" Naruto called out uncertainly.

Sasuke stopped and turned around, an annoyed scowl on his face.

"I said, come on, loser. We're having dinner at my house."

Naruto's entire face lit up and he bounded after Sasuke.

"HEY! Don't call me loser!" He cried out after finally processing Sasuke's insult.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever, loser."

Naruto's face scrunched up in anger, but just as quickly it faded and Sasuke watched and waited for what he was going to say.

"Is…is...are your parents going to be okay with me?" Naruto asked, his voice uncharacteristically nervous. "People…adults don't like me…"

"It'll be fine. Promise," Sasuke replied.

Sasuke's skin prickled slightly and he turned with a frown. Naruto noticed his change in demeanour and turned to look as well, a confused frown on his face. There was nothing there, and Sasuke's frown deepened. His shinobi senses were presently untrained, but his intuition and instinct were as sharp as ever.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke turned back and shook his head.

"Nothing," he murmured. "Just thought I saw someone."

Naruto snorted. "Yeah, we're in the park alone, Sasuke. You're dumb."

Sasuke didn't bother to reply. It had slipped his mind that ANBU would be watching over Naruto and that they'd definitely be reporting back to the Hokage that Naruto had made friends with an Uchiha. He frowned in thought, wondering if this would make things better or worse for his clan.

Naruto didn't stop talking all the way until they reached Sasuke's house, where he suddenly became very quiet and subdued.

Sasuke glanced at him. "It's fine. Relax," he said quietly.

Naruto shot him a nervous and hopeful smile.

Sasuke opened the front door and called out that he was home. He and Naruto sat down to take off their shoes and then walked further into the house.

"Mother?" Sasuke called.

"Just in the kitchen," she called back. "Can you get Itachi in from outside?"

"Mother, I brought a friend home for dinner."

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm and dragged him to the kitchen.

"Oh, really, who - " Mikoto froze and her eyes widened when she saw Naruto, and Naruto stiffened beside Sasuke.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Sasuke said. "My _friend."_ He emphasised the word. He looked at Naruto. "This is my mother."

"Nice to meet you," Naruto said awkwardly. "You're... really... pretty."

Sasuke snorted slightly, then looked at his mother, and saw her suddenly relax and smile.

"It's lovely to meet you as well, Naruto. Thank you. I'm so glad Sasuke's brought a friend home. It's the first time," she gushed.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Really?" Naruto looked amazed.

Mikoto nodded. "Sasuke, why don't you show Naruto where he can wash up, and then go and fetch Itachi?"

Sasuke nodded. "Let's go, loser."

"Hey! I said don't call me that, idiot!" Naruto whined.

Sasuke was aware that his mother was watching them go, he wondered what she was thinking. He led Naruto to the bathroom where they both washed their hand, then took him back to the dining room and pointed to a cushion.

"Sit here while I get my brother," Sasuke instructed. "Don't break anything."

"I won't!" Naruto scowled.

Sasuke left Naruto grumbling with a small smile on his face and then went out to fetch Itachi. Itachi was sitting on the top of the wall that surrounded their backyard, staring at the setting sun.

"Tachi! Mother said dinner is ready," Sasuke called.

Itachi turned and jumped down from the wall. "Thanks, Sasuke," he smiled and poked Sasuke's forehead.

"I brought a friend for dinner," Sasuke said as they walked back inside.

"Oh really? And who's that?" Itachi asked curiously.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

Sasuke watched Itachi carefully to gauge his reaction.

"Is that so?" Itachi replied.

If Sasuke didn't pay attention, he would have missed the slight tensed set of Itachi's shoulders that lasted for just a second.

Sasuke waked inside first and took the seat next to Naruto, who was looking uncomfortable.

"Sasuke tells me your name is Naruto," Itachi said politely as he sat across from them. "I'm Itachi, Sasuke's big brother."

"Hello," Naruto replied a little shyly.

"So how did you two meet?" Itachi asked with a smile.

"Ummm…"

"I kicked the shop owner who was being mean to him," Sasuke answered.

Itachi's eyes widened in surprise.

"You kicked who?"

Sasuke froze at the new voice in the room. His father took a seat at the head of the table, looking at Sasuke and Naruto sternly, but Sasuke had no idea what he was thinking. Sasuke swallowed and cleared his throat.

"Good evening, father," he said politely.

"Hello father," Itachi said.

"This, this is Naruto," Sasuke said quickly. "My friend. This is my father," Sasuke said to Naruto.

"N-nice to meet you," Naruto stuttered.

Sasuke couldn't blame him, his father was an intimidating figure. Fugaku inclined his head and then looked expectantly at Sasuke.

"Today I went for a walk in the village and I saw a shop keeper being mean to Naruto for no reason. I kicked him, and then Naruto and I went and trained together in the park," Sasuke said in a rush, annoyed that he was feeling nervous in front of his father.

Fugaku hummed low in his throat. His eyes were sharp as he studied Sasuke and Naruto.

"Well. I'm glad to see you've developed a sense of justice, Sasuke," he finally said.

Sasuke blinked in surprise. Was that…a compliment? Across the table, Itachi smiled.

"Thank you," Sasuke replied quietly, slightly confused. He had been so sure he was going to be scolded.

"Sasuke was really cool!" Naruto suddenly said. "The villagers are always super mean, calling me names and stuff, but today's the first time someone came and stood up for me, so I was super happy."

The whole house felt a little dampened by Naruto's proclamation, but Sasuke turned to look at Naruto.

"That's what friends do," he said simply.

* * *

Itachi and Sasuke walked Naruto home after dinner, even when he told them he definitely didn't need it. He was alone all the time, so he was fine. Sasuke ignored him and started walking off in the direction he remembered Naruto's house to be, so the loser didn't have a choice. When Naruto waved them off at the door, with Sasuke promising to meet him at the park the next day, Sasuke and Itachi turned and walked home.

"That was nice of you," Itachi said quietly.

Sasuke shrugged. "I didn't like the way they were talking and looking at him. He didn't do anything wrong."

"Sometimes people are cruel when they're afraid and don't understand," Itachi replied.

Sasuke was sure that his old self would have demanded to know what Itachi was talking about, but he didn't bother to ask the question. He already knew, even if he wasn't supposed to. Instead, he brought up another topic.

"The villagers don't always like us either," he said.

Itachi looked at him in surprise. "What makes you say that?"

"He called me 'one of those Uchiha brats,'" Sasuke told Itachi.

Itachi ruffled Sasuke's hair. "You shouldn't worry about that stuff."

Sasuke pushed Itachi's hand off his head.

"Don't treat me like a kid," Sasuke scowled. "I'm not stupid. You don't have to protect me from everything all the time."

Itachi looked at him with surprise and smiled.

"That's what your big brother is here for."

Sasuke huffed. "Fine. But then I'll protect you too."

"Hmm? And what will you protect me from?" Itachi asked, amused.

Sasuke lowered her eyes. "Everything," he said in a low voice. He looked back up at Itachi. "That's what brothers do."

Itachi gave him a curious look. "Okay, Sasuke," he said. "We'll protect each other."

He poked Sasuke's forehead, and Sasuke smiled. He waited until Itachi had turn to walk before he jumped up on Itachi's back. His brother laughed and carried him home. His first full day back in time ended... rather well, Sasuke thought as he drifted off to sleep.

The next few weeks passed by quickly for Sasuke with only one thing bothering him: he was becoming childlike. Not in a way that concerned him; his mental capacity was still as an adult, his memories were intact, but in the way he reacted to situations. He theorised that his regression in physical age was the reason for this. Chemically and physiologically, he was immature and his body was growing and developing. It seemed a natural adaption to his situation. It was slightly annoying that he didn't have as much control over his reactions, but at the same time, it bothered him less as time went on. It helped him if people didn't look too closely and thought he was the same as ever.

Sasuke quickly got himself into a training regime. He woke every day before dawn and ran around the village, pushing himself harder and further every day. His endurance was really pitiful. After he ran, he quickly came home and washed himself off before he started on chakra control exercises until the rest of his family woke up. He ate breakfast with them, soaking in each moment he was able to enjoy with them. The biggest thing that Sasuke changed was something that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of his family: he stopped seeking Fugaku's approval. Sasuke still felt that odd desire to have it, but he stopped seeking the praise from his father he always had before. Sasuke knew who he was and what he was capable of, and everything he had done in his past and all the achievements - good and bad - had come without his father. Mikoto and Itachi noticed the change in him. He could see it in the way that they exchanged glances at moments when Sasuke did or said something different from what they imagined he would around Fugaku. He didn't know if his father noticed. If he did, he didn't say anything, if he didn't, it bothered Sasuke less than he thought it would. Still, Sasuke also knew that his father did love and care for him, in his own way. One day, maybe, their relationship would change, but for now, Sasuke stopped trying.

Every second day he met up with Naruto after lunch, always bringing a lunchbox from his mother for Naruto, after Sasuke mentioned to her that he wasn't sure Naruto was eating properly. Sasuke found it faintly amusing that he had somehow become Naruto's keeper, making sure he ate something other than ramen, that his little apartment was cleared of mess and off food, and that Naruto actually took baths. Sasuke learned more and more about Naruto the more he spent time with him. They'd never known each other before, at this age. He'd only met Naruto at the academy. He knew that Naruto was lonely, starved for affection, treated like a parasite. Sasuke also knew that this was an important part of Naruto's life and development as a person. He couldn't do anything about the way other people treated Naruto, but at least this time around he could give Naruto something he'd been deprived of, and that Naruto had given him: family.

The afternoons he spent with Naruto were a mix between playing together and training. Sasuke indulged Naruto's love of fun and played tag and hide-and-seek with him. He stood behind Naruto and glared at the parents who dragged their children away from Naruto, who pretended like he wasn't affected by it but couldn't stop shaking. He always wore his emotions on his sleeve, which made it easy for Sasuke to figure out how to deal with him. Naruto accepted Sasuke as well, even though he called him an idiot, anti-social and a pretty boy. There were times that Sasuke saw the nervousness in Naruto's eyes like Sasuke was going to disappear on him. Especially when they said good-bye. He was always afraid Sasuke wouldn't come back, but Sasuke always showed up when he said he would, and Naruto started trusting him more and more. They fought a lot like Sasuke knew they would; that was how their friendship worked. They threw insults at each other, never really meaning it, except when they did, and half their training sessions ended in a brawl.

One day, some brave woman decided that she would try and warn Sasuke off playing with Naruto. Naruto had looked at Sasuke, backing away slowly, like he was going to be disappointed and abandoned again. Sasuke turned a fierce glare on the woman and told her to shut up and leave him alone. She was shocked and tried to reason with him again, talking down to him. He hated that. His family never spoke to him like a child. His parents always spoke to himself and Itachi like they were equals, it was something he valued. Irritated and angered by the woman, he told her that Naruto was his friend and he wasn't going to abandon him just because some old hag was a nosy idiot. The woman, now thoroughly offended, backed off and Sasuke turned to see Naruto blubbering about how Sasuke was his best friend. Sasuke merely sighed and patted Naruto on the back, telling him to come over again for dinner again.

Sasuke was not unaware of the whispers that were being circulated about him and the clan because of his friendship with Naruto. He made certain that all their activities together, except for when Naruto had dinner with them, were done outside the Uchiha compound, away from anyone else in his clan, and in the public view. He hoped that people would just see two boys striking up a - rather violent - friendship. He'd never been more shocked when the Third Hokage suddenly appeared at the park to watch their training one day, although he shouldn't have been. Upon seeing him, Naruto shouted out to him with a bright smile and ran over. Sasuke was more cautious. He followed Naruto over to the Hokage warily, listening as Naruto rapidly explained with a lot of smiles and enthusiasm that Sasuke was his friend and they were playing and training. The Hokage smiled kindly at him and patted Naruto on the head. Sasuke watched with mixed emotions. Even though he knew the truth about his brother, and why the Hokage had passed the gag order on Naruto's parents, Sasuke couldn't quite come to like him as he had in his childhood before. His perception of the man was irrevocably changed.

"It sounds like you've made a very good friend, Naruto," the Hokage said. "Why don't you introduce me to him?"

"Oh! Oh yeah. Gramps, this is Sasuke, Sasuke this is Gramps."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Lord Hokage," he murmured respectfully.

"Ah, young Sasuke Uchiha, is it?"

Sasuke held back on rolling his eyes again. The Hokage knew very well who he was. His ANBU had clearly reported everything to him already, and he'd probably been watching them as well.

"You know that very well, Lord Hokage," Sasuke said flatly, showing he was unimpressed. "My father is the chief of the military police and my brother is a genius shinobi who might be the next Hokage. If you didn't know who I was, you're not doing your job very well."

Naruto gaped at him and the Hokage blinked in surprise and then he laughed.

"You've caught me," he smiled. "I trust your family is well?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Fugaku and Mikoto are the best. Well, Fugaku is a little scary, but Mikoto makes really yummy food and she's really nice and everything," Naruto said.

"It's good to hear you've made a good friend," the Hokage smiled, seeming to genuinely mean it.

Naruto beamed. "Yep! Me and Sasuke are best buddies. But I'm gonna be Hokage, not him! Believe it!"

"Oh? Sasuke, you'd like to be Hokage one day as well?" The Hokage asked curiously.

Sasuke shrugged. "It's an option. After all, it doesn't matter what clan the Hokage is from, does it? The Hokage is chosen because they are the strongest shinobi who carries the Will of Fire. I think that can be an Uchiha too."

Sasuke was satisfied to see the Hokage's eyes sharpen slightly at the inflection of Sasuke's words.

"That's right," he said. "You're a bright child, just like Itachi."

Sasuke shook his head. "No. I'm not like Itachi. He's different to me. I'm Sasuke, I'll be the best in my own way."

Sasuke knew that Naruto was getting confused and antsy.

"Besides," Sasuke shrugged. "One day Naruto's going to be the second best shinobi in the world," he smirked.

Naruto frowned. "Second best - Hey! I'm so going to be better than you!"

"No way. You can't even beat me in push-ups, loser," Sasuke retorted.

"I can too! Gramps, watch this! We're going to do them and I'll beat you, Sasuke, you'll see."

Sasuke felt a bit silly doing a push-up competition in front of the Hokage, but the old man seemed amused by the situation, and Sasuke couldn't decline, no four-year-old would turn down a competition from his friend and rival. Privately, he had to admit wasn't as reluctant as he made out he was. Not that he'd ever tell Naruto that. Naruto, of course, cheated, knocking out Sasuke's arms from under him by 'accident.' Sasuke landed on his face and let out a rush of air. He grit his teeth in annoyance and kicked Naruto in the side, causing him to roll over a few times with a yelp.

"Hey!"

The Hokage broke up their brawl a few moments later with a loud laugh.

"I look forward to seeing how you two grow up," he said smiling. "I'll come by in a few days, okay, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded. "Bye, Gramps!" Naruto waved him off.

Sasuke watched the Hokage depart, wondering what the old man would think of him now.

•••

Two months passed and Sasuke was growing restless. He knew that it was coming; the attack on Itachi's team, but he couldn't remember exactly when it would come. Every mission Itachi went on made Sasuke sick with worry and frustration. He couldn't do anything. He was too young, too weak. He trained relentlessly, pushing his body to its limits so much that he passed out from exhaustion most nights as soon as his head hit the pillow. It should have been no surprise to Sasuke that he ended up sick, but he did not expect to end up sick enough that had to be rushed to the hospital with a high fever, and no idea how the time was passing. Sasuke woke up groggy and slow. His brow furrowing at the noise that had woken him. Laughter, he realised. It took him a moment to figure out he was in the hospital. He heard the soft beeping of the monitors and felt the needle in his arm. He heaved a deep sigh, annoyed at himself.

"SASUKE!"

Sasuke groaned as a ball of yellow-haired energy landed on top of him.

"Oh, Naruto! Be careful!"

Sasuke saw through bleary eyes that Mikoto lifted Naruto off him and Naruto sheepishly apologised.

Sasuke wiped his tired eyes.

"S'ok," he murmured tiredly. "Don't do it again."

"Sasuke, sweetie, are you all right?" Mikoto's voice was fraught with concern.

"Fine, mother. Just tired," Sasuke said.

He tried to swallow, but his throat was dry. Anticipating his needs, she held a small cup of water to his lips and he sipped it.

"I'll go and tell the doctor you're awake," she said with a relieved smile, her eyes were still tight with worry. "Stay here, Naruto." She patted him on the head.

"Yep!" He beamed.

Sasuke's whole body felt tired and a little achy. He looked at Naruto who was staring at him with a trembling smile.

"Sorry," Sasuke apologised, although he didn't know why he was bothering. It's not like he got sick on purpose.

Naruto seemed to think the same thing because he screwed up his nose and told Sasuke he was dumb.

"It's good you didn't die. You were really sick," Naruto said, surprisingly serious.

"I won't die," Sasuke sighed. "I have things to do."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke smirked. "Like be Hokage," he teased.

Naruto, typically, burst out that he would not and Sasuke breathed a laugh.

"Hey loser," he said softly, feeling his eyes close. "I'm tired."

"Okay," Naruto said.

To Sasuke's surprise, Naruto climbed up onto the bed beside him.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke mumbled, too sleepy to open his eyes.

"Keeping you company. Duh. It's not nice to be alone when you're sick," Naruto said.

Sasuke hummed, unable to say anything more before falling back to sleep with Naruto laying beside him, smelling like ramen and little like he needed to bathe.

The following afternoon, Mikoto took Sasuke home from the hospital, and he knew that something was wrong. Her smile was forced, her face purposefully smoothed of too much emotion, and Sasuke felt uneasy. Something had happened while he'd been sick, he knew it. When he arrived home and Itachi wasn't there, and Mikoto informed him that his brother and father were with the Hokage, Sasuke knew what had happened. He went upstairs to rest in bed and waited until his father and brother returned. He sat on his bed and meditated. His physical conditioned had improved greatly, although it was set back a little because of his stupid illness. He had also improved his chakra control. Already he had grown his reserve, even though it was hardly noticeable. It was a step forward.

He leaped up when he heard them come home and ran from his room to see them. He paused at the end of the small hallway and took a glimpse at his father and brother. His father was grim-faced, but there was a hint of pride in his eyes. Itachi, on the other hand, looked ashen and confused. Sasuke clenched his jaw and the ran straight for the dazed Itachi, flinging his arms around him and squeezing tight, before either his father or mother could tell him not too. He could feel his parents watching them. Itachi raised his arm as if to hug him back, and then he let it fall. Sasuke just hugged him tighter.

"It's okay, Tachi," he whispered.

After another moment, Sasuke let him go and looked up at him. Itachi swallowed, not looking at Sasuke, and turned to his parents.

"I'm going to rest."

They both nodded and let him go. Sasuke looked up at his father, who was staring after Itachi and wondered what was going through his mind. Was all he cared about Itachi's Sharingan? Sasuke saw the slight grimace his father gave and changed his mind; he _was_ worried about Itachi.

"Itachi awakened his Sharingan, didn't he?" Sasuke asked quietly.

Fugaku glanced down at Sasuke. "What makes you think that?"

Sasuke stared at him without answering and Fugaku gave a short grunt.

"Hn. He did."

Sasuke saw him look up at his mother, who gave some kind of signal because Fugaku indicated Sasuke to follow him. Sasuke did, somewhat cautiously. This hadn't happened before. Fugaku sat in his office at home and Sasuke trotted over to the seat on the other side of the desk.

Fugaku ran a hand through his hair.

"Sasuke," Fugaku said. "Your mother tells me you've been training very hard."

Sasuke nodded.

"Are you feeling better?"

Sasuke nodded again. Fugaku looked at him thoughtfully, and Sasuke felt strangely exposed under his critical gaze.

"You worried your mother," Fugaku said sternly. _"And_ your brother, and myself." Sasuke eye's widened in surprise. "You're not Itachi. Don't push yourself past your limits."

Sasuke felt like he'd been slapped. His fist clenched on his thigh. Before, he'd have taken the scolding and been disappointed and upset. Now, he was just annoyed.

"I know I'm not Itachi," Sasuke snapped. "I don't think _you_ do. Stop comparing me to him."

Fugaku stared at him with astonishment.

"I will become a shinobi of my own right, father, whether or not you accept me as I am."

Sasuke hadn't realised he jumped off his chair and was standing very determined, almost glaring at his father. His chest gave a small heave. His father's expression swiftly changed from astonished to stern.

"If you don't train responsibly, you will end up in the hospital again," Fugaku said harshly. Then he took a deep breath. "Sit down, Sasuke. I have something to speak with you about."

Sasuke scowled and jumped up on the seat again, staring at his father with his arms folded over his chest and a pout. Fugaku noted his expression and body language.

"You are an Uchiha, Sasuke, so you know that our clan has a special dojutsu."

"The Sharingan," Sasuke said flatly.

Fugaku nodded. "Our eyes are special, but they are a heavy burden to bear."

"What do you mean?"

He didn't want to have this conversation. There was little his father could tell him about the Sharingan he didn't already know - but he was curious about what his father would say. This conversation was new…and he didn't really understand what had changed for this conversation to happen.

"The Sharingan can only be awakened by deep and powerful emotion," Fugaku told him. "The most common way the member of our clan awakens it is through experiencing loss, it's not the only way but..." He trailed off. "This is what happened to your brother."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, acting as if he was thinking.

"So his teammate died?"

Fugaku nodded, and Sasuke didn't miss the flash of emotion through his father eyes, indicating that he was impressed Sasuke had worked it out so quickly.

"Yes. I want you to remember this, Sasuke: the Sharingan gives us power, but power can change us. You should continue to work hard through your own means rather than seek power from outside forces." Fugaku spoke seriously. "It is not wise to covet that which others have gained through pain and sacrifice."

Sasuke swallowed and nodded. All those words hit close to home. He faintly wondered if he'd had this conversation with his father in the past would he have acted differently.

"I understand, father," he replied quietly.

Fugaku nodded, satisfied. "Good. Get some rest, Sasuke. Don't wake up for your usual run in the morning." Sasuke looked at him startled, and Fugaku smirked. "You might think you're going to be a great shinobi one day, but the day you can fool your father is a long, long way away."

Sasuke left the room in a slight daze, heading back up to his room. As much as he told himself he didn't care about his father's approval now, he couldn't hide the part of him that was beyond pleased to know that Fugaku had taken notice of him. He'd actually taken notice and scolded him and even encouraged him in a round-about way, better still, his father didn't speak down to him either. Sasuke lay on his back on his bed and stared at the ceiling, a little bewildered.

Mikoto watched Sasuke leave Fugaku's office with a perplexed expression on his little face and frowned. He padded straight to his room, and she went to see her husband. Fugaku was looking out the window with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"What happened?" Mikoto asked him.

Fugaku was quiet a moment. "He yelled at me," he said, sounding uncomfortable.

Mikoto blinked. Sasuke yelled at his father? That was unusual. He had always treated Fugaku with deference.

"He told me to stop comparing him to Itachi, that he didn't need my acceptance to become a shinobi."

Mikoto pursed her lips in worry. Sasuke had been different in the last few months. Quieter, his speech was more mature than it had been. He was more affectionate towards her, even more idolizing of Itachi, and more distant from his father. He was more observant, and there was a wariness and restlessness to him that hadn't been there before. It was as if he'd woken up one morning and something had changed during the night.

"Do you think he's all right?" Mikoto asked, voicing her worries. "He's always been a happy and eager child… he seems a little off these last few months."

Fugaku looked at Mikoto.

"I agree there's been a change, but I don't know if it's as worrisome as you make it out to be. I think seeing Itachi as part of a team and going on missions has motivated him. Sasuke has always had great potential, he's a bright child," Fugaku said. He looked back out the window. "Brighter than we realised, maybe." His voice was more thoughtful as he spoke that last sentence.

Mikoto listened to her husband and smiled fondly.

"You should tell him that," she said softly. "Whatever he may say, Sasuke admires you and craves your attention and approval. He's always wanted to be just like you."

Fugaku looked away. "He should know he has it."

She shook her head in exasperation.

"Oh, Fugaku. Our children are remarkable but very different. Both of them are going to need you now, more than ever."

Fugaku set his mouth in a firm line.

"So Naruto stayed with Sasuke in the hospital," he commented, changing the subject.

Mikoto nodded. "They're quite attached to each other, it seems. He's a good match for Sasuke, I think. He challenges him."

Fugaku gave a soft chuckle. "He looks just like Minato, but his personality is all Kushina," he said softly, and sadly.

Mikoto had to agree. She wanted nothing more than to bring Naruto into their home and shower him with affection, regaling him with stories about his brilliant parents. But she knew it was impossible. Any more contact with him than they already were having and the village leaders suspicions about them would grow. Already they knew there was an increase in surveillance on the boy whenever Sasuke was around him. It made Mikoto want to scream. They were just boys who had formed an innocent, wonderful friendship.

"I'm taking the day off tomorrow," Fugaku said after a moment. "I'll take Sasuke out with me."

Mikoto smiled, walked over to Fugaku pulled on his arm so that he would lean down and then she kissed his cheek.

"Then I'll take care of Itachi," she said quietly.

Fugaku gave a short nod, and Mikoto left him alone to ponder. Her boys were all a handful, but she loved them so very dearly and would do everything and anything to protect them all. Even, she thought, as she watched Itachi sneak out of the house through his window and exit the yard, from themselves.


	2. changes

Sasuke walked beside his father with a frown, trying to figure out exactly what Fugaku wanted with him, and where they were going. All his father had said in the morning was that he needed to get up, get dressed and follow him. They walked through the Uchiha District, passed the freshly cooked pieces of bread and foods, and Sasuke did his best to keep his grumbling stomach quiet. It didn't work. His father diverted from his course to wherever their destination was and bought him a bread.

"Thanks," Sasuke muttered, a little embarrassed.

"You should have grabbed something before we left," Fugaku replied, slight disapproval in his tone.

Sasuke glowered. He might have if Fugaku didn't look like he wanted Sasuke to be ready to go _that second_. He ate the bread with annoyance and in silence, crumbling up the paper and walking off to put in the rubbish bin without telling Fugaku anything he was doing. His father stopped and waited for him to catch up, and Sasuke couldn't help but feel somewhat irritated, although he couldn't pinpoint why. Fugaku remained silent as they walked to an old training ground. Sasuke realised where they were going once they were half-way there. The Uchiha had many private training areas, but the one they were headed towards was hardly ever used by any shinobi at all.

"What are we doing here?" Sasuke asked, unable to help feeling a little curious.

Fugaku continued to walk towards the area where the posts were in the ground, without answering Sasuke. Sasuke watched as he twisted the nail at the top of the posts, which moved the hanging targets on the posts from the back to the front, in view of Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. His father was going to test him? Fugaku walked back to where Sasuke was standing, and handed over a small weapons pouch.

"Here," he said. "Use these."

Sasuke frowned slightly and took the pouch. It looked new. He flipped it open to see that it was stocked with about six kunai and ten shuriken, plus some wire, smoke bombs and some blank tags.

"Show me the fruits of your training."

There was a challenge in Fugaku's voice. Sasuke attacked the weapons pouch to his leg, gave his father a hard stare to accept the challenge he was throwing at him, and then readied himself before the targets. Sasuke took a deep breath. He withdrew three kunai and with a flick of his wrist, threw them at the first target. They landed just where he wanted them too, one in the center, a bullseye, and the other two above and below. Then he moved to the next target without looking at his father and landed four shuriken in the middle red circle, all within a centimetre of each other. The third target was when his father tested him. The moment Sasuke released his kunai, Fugaku released one as well, which knocked one of them off course. Sasuke immediately threw another one, hitting his misdirected kunai and correcting its course. Just to cement the fact that he wasn't afraid of a challenge, Sasuke threw the rest of his shuriken at the target. He looked at the finished product with a prideful smirk. Three kunai in the bullseyes, and a perfect circle of shuriken around it.

"Again," Fugaku said, his arms folded over his chest.

Sasuke glanced at him. His father didn't betray any of what he felt or thought. With a scowl, Sasuke collected his weapons and just as he was about to throw them, Fugaku stopped him.

"This time, show me what you can do." He gave Sasuke a meaningful look.

Sasuke clenched his jaw. "Fine," he muttered.

If that was what his father wanted, that was what he would get. Sasuke took a breath and narrowed his eyes at the target. He felt the weight of the weapons in his hands and then threw all ten shuriken in the air. With careful precision, he released five of the six kunai. They landed with small thuds. He wrinkled his nose. Three of the kunai missed the targets but still accomplished half the work. Each of the five kunai had taken two shuriken from the air, piercing through their centre's. Only two hit the targets, the rest had gone behind them, stabbed into the ground.

He risked a glance at his father, who was staring at the kunai with a hard expression.

"You are almost five, yes?" He asked.

Sasuke nodded. Technically, he was.

"Collect your weapons."

His hands started to sweat. His mind was screaming to know what his father was thinking, but he remained resolutely, infuriatingly silent. Once collected, he turned to his father, who walked off. Sasuke stared at him incredulously. Fugaku paused and looked back.

"Are you coming?"

He gave one last look to Sasuke before walking off again, and Sasuke had never felt more of an urge to punch someone, not even Naruto. With one fist clenched, Sasuke followed Fugaku through the village. He refused to speak, and Fugaku seemed perfectly fine with the silence. When they arrived at the lake, Sasuke knew exactly what they were doing there.

"Sasuke - "

Sasuke held up a small hand to stop his father from talking. Fugaku was more surprised than anything.

"I don't need a demonstration," Sasuke uttered in annoyance. "This whole day was just to test me, that I was good enough, right?"

Fugaku's eyes narrowed. "Sasuke, I think we need to have a discussion about your behaviour and your attitude."

Sasuke struggled to keep himself contained. He could feel so much conflict inside him. Instead, he started to form the hand signs. His father's wides widened, but before he could say anything else, Sasuke turned his head over the lake and blew out a decent sized fireball jutsu, feeling faintly dizzy at the amount of chakra he just used, but he refused to show weakness. Fugaku stared at him like he had never seen him before, and Sasuke felt a heated rush of tears come to his eyes and his throat burned.

"I told you I would become a shinobi, father."

Unable to stomach that he was crying, really crying in front of his father and that he had used more chakra than he wanted, Sasuke turned and sprinted away, as far and as fast as he could.

•••

"Sasuke - "

Fugaku looked after his youngest son in bewilderment as he sprinted away from him. He didn't know what to say or do, so he stood there in uncertainty, thinking about everything that had just happened. He didn't know his son. That was the thought that ran through his mind. Fugaku had no idea who Sasuke was. Had he really been paying so little attention to Sasuke that he'd somehow missed him? Fugaku shook his head. Sasuke wasn't even five yet, and he was so different from Itachi. Those eyes…Itachi had never looked at Fugaku the way that Sasuke did, nor was Itachi so free with his emotions. Mikoto's worried flashed through his mind. It had been a few months now that something had been different in Sasuke.

Did Sasuke hate him? The thought caused a pang in Fugaku's chest. He ran his hands through his hair. All signs seemed to point towards that conclusion. His son had been distant, wary, abrasive. Yet there was a look of…something like desperation in his features, a challenge perhaps. Itachi was not easy to understand, but Fugaku thought that he had a handle on at least one of his children. Apparently, he did not.

•••

Sasuke ran deep into the forests surrounding Konoha until he was too tired to stand. His legs trembled and he threw himself on his back on the grass. He was such an idiot! What had he just done? Sasuke cursed himself for allowing his emotions to overrule his rationale. He was better than that, and now he's just thrown his own plans away. Why? Because he wanted to somehow prove to his father that he was worthy of his attention and that he didn't need it, all at the same time? Sasuke glared at the sky, frustrated with himself. He wasn't sure how he was going to go back and face his family or his father now. How was he going to explain that he could perform a Fireball Jutsu without having been taught it before? He groaned aloud.

"Sounds like you've had a rough day."

Sasuke jumped up in surprise and whipped around to see Shisui leaning against a tree behind him. He relaxed his tense shoulders.

"Oh. It's you."

Shisui gave him a grin. "Hey there, little Sasuke."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Just coming back from doing some training," Shisui replied, walking over and ruffling Sasuke's hair. "What's a little runt like you doing out here?"

"I'm not a runt!" Sasuke pouted.

Shisui laughed. Sasuke sighed and glanced up at his brother's friend. It was the first time he'd seen Shisui since he came back. He was always out on missions or out training.

"So what's going on, Sasuke? You're looking a little down."

Shisui was looking at him with some concern. Sasuke felt a twinge of regret for not having been able to get to know him better before he died. Shisui had been his brothers best friend and confidant, he ought to know him better now.

"I - I did something I shouldn't have," Sasuke said, looking away.

"Oh?"

Sasuke went to tell him, but then closed his mouth again, unsure how to go on.

"You can tell me, Sasuke. I'm pretty good at keeping secrets."

He poked Sasuke in the cheek, and Sasuke slapped his hand away, frowning. He knew Shisui was good at keeping secrets, that didn't mean he could handle Sasuke's secret. They started walking back towards the compound.

"I just wanted to prove that I don't have to prove myself," Sasuke muttered, thinking that it sounded ridiculous, saying it out loud.

Shisui hummed in thought. "So what did you do that made you so worried?"

Sasuke stopped walking. "What do you think the village would think if I… could do things faster than the other kids?"

Shisui glanced back at him.

"And…what about the clan? They already expect so much from Tachi." He frowned and looked down. "I can help him if I'm strong."

Suddenly Shisui was kneeling down in front of him, giving him a little smile.

"I'm already strong, so how about I help out your brother, and you just focus on being a kid for a while longer, okay? You're sounding a little too grown up for my liking."

Sasuke peered at Shisui. He needed to keep Shisui alive. Itachi wasn't the same after he died. Sasuke looked down at his small body, feeling as though he'd made a mistake coming back so young. He should've figured out a way to come back with his older body, and watch over them all instead of trying to do things from the inside. Sasuke swallowed and nodded. For now, he'd work on getting closer to Shisui, to set-up the next few years.

"Promise?" He asked.

Shisui grinned. "Promise."

Sasuke's fifth birthday came and went, the joy of the day was dampened by his inner turmoil. Things were strained between Sasuke and his father. No one said anything about his display of jutsu, and Sasuke began to wonder if his father had kept it a secret. His first thought was one of relief, his second was why? As more time passed, his insecurities built up enough that even Naruto told him he was acting weird. He knew that he was acting as odd as Naruto claimed. He became withdrawn. Since running into Shisui, Sasuke's mind had been running over all the scenarios around the massacre and how he could change it and save Itachi, and Shisui, and his family. Every idea ended in failure, and it all pressed in on him as being so much harder than he realised, which only caused Sasuke to spiral further into his own dark and depressed thoughts.

He took to walking in the village more often, carefully observing the villagers and his clan. Things were just okay, they weren't great. It seemed like a few pushes and the tension would snap. He spent time with Itachi, and those moments were lighter. Itachi was more focused on training, and still suffering some guilt from the loss of his teammate, but when they were together, things seemed to lift for both of them. It was then that Sasuke first noticed that whenever Itachi was out and walking, his eyes wandered across the crowd, looking for someone. Sasuke could hardly contain his grin when he saw the expression of nervous longing cross his brothers face when they walked passed Izumi, and how Itachi grew just a little flustered when they spoke. Sasuke kept his comments to himself, not out of generosity or for lack of wanting to tease, but because he couldn't help but feel a coil of regret and sorrow that his brother had been forced to kill his own chance of happiness before he could even begin it. Sasuke grew progressively more moody until his mother reached a breaking point.

"That's enough."

Mikoto put down her bowl angrily and glanced around the table at her family, who all stared back in surprise at her. Mikoto rarely raised her voice at any of them, and Fugaku was the only one who ever saw the mad-eyes she was showing them all. She took a deep breath, softening her features.

"We are a family," she said in a quiet and pained voice. "This silence is painful."

She turned to Sasuke, who wanted to duck his head and look away from her.

"Sasuke," she said his name softly. _"Please_ talk to us." There was a hint of desperation in her voice. "We all want to help you, with whatever is bothering you, but we can't if you don't speak."

Sasuke looked away from her. He couldn't tell them what was bothering him, and somehow that made him feel worse. A heavy silence descended on then, more strained and taut than it had been before.

"I have been thinking that we enrol Sasuke in the academy."

Everyone looked up at Fugaku in surprise. He wasn't looking at anyone, he was just looking ahead, his expression stern.

"What? Why?" Mikoto asked him.

Sasuke's chest thumped. That wasn't good. That wasn't part of the plan. Early enrolment in the academy meant that the timeline would be changed and so many things would be different. He couldn't allow that, not so early in his time back here.

"Because Sasuke performed the Fireball Jutsu with more proficiency that I could at his age," Itachi responded with a small smile directed at his little brother.

Mikoto's eyes widened and she looked at Sasuke, who was staring panicked at his barely eaten food.

"Is that true, Sasuke?" Mikoto questioned him, eyes wide.

When Sasuke didn't speak, it was Fugaku who answered.

"It is."

Sasuke wondered if the pride he detected in Fugaku's voice was real or if he just imagined it.

"I don't want to go," he said quietly.

This could change too much, he didn't know what would happen. He looked up at Itachi, hoping that he could draw him in as an ally. But Itachi only looked at him with slight confusion. Of course, he would; Sasuke had always dreamed of becoming a shinobi, so why wouldn't he jump at the chance to go to the academy and follow in Itachi's footsteps?

"Sasuke you - you've been working so hard," Mikoto said, her voice as confused and concerned as Itachi looked. "Why don't you want to go?"

Sasuke clenched his jaw and looked back down at his food.

"I don't want to," he muttered again. "I won't - I'm not going to abandon Naruto. I promised we'd go together."

Well, he hadn't, technically. But they'd talked about the academy and what it was going to be like. Naruto needed Sasuke to be there, he needed a rival to push him.

"This is not up for debate," Fugaku said in a low voice. Sasuke looked at him. "You have proven yourself capable enough, and you will attend the academy in the new year."

Sasuke's fist clenched. "No," he said firmly.

Fugaku's eyes sharpened. "That was an order, Sasuke."

The air seemed to be sucked out of the room.

Sasuke raised his chin. _"No,"_ he repeated through gritted teeth, staring his father down. It was in moments like this that Sasuke wished he wasn't only just five and his glare was more effective.

Fugaku's eyes narrowed and Sasuke found it hard to maintain his own stare.

"I don't know where this insolent behaviour has arisen from, Sasuke, but it will stop _now."_ Sasuke flinched at the tone of his voice. "You profess that you will become a shinobi, yet you act like a spoiled child. You _will_ attend the Academy, you _will_ prove yourself worthy of the Uchiha name, and you _will_ bring honour to your clan."

His tone was final and Sasuke's fists shook. He wasn't going to be able to get out of this. When his father wanted something to go his way, he got it. Panic and anger surged through him. Because of a moment of childish weakness, he had gone and ruined everything. An idea flashed through Sasuke's mind, and the words he'd uttered to Shisui weeks ago came back to him. If he was strong enough, he could help his brother. If he was stronger, maybe he'd know more about the village and clan politics, maybe he'd be able to find a way to do more. Going to the academy was a step in earning his place as a shinobi, he didn't need the academy, but he needed the headband - and somehow, _somehow_ he was going to make sure he was beside Naruto at the right moments. He took a deep breath and raised his head.

"Fine. I will go."

Fugaku studied him a moment longer and then gave a nod. The rest of the dinner was eaten in silence.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke sat up and saw Itachi at his doorway. He frowned and wiped his eyes tiredly.

"Tachi? You 'kay?"

Itachi came into his room quiet and Sasuke moved over on his bed. Itachi slipped under the covers and the brothers cuddled up. Sasuke sighed tiredly, wondering what Itachi was doing. He rarely came to Sasuke like this, it was usually the other way around.

"I talked to father," Itachi whispered.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open.

"He won't change his mind." Itachi sounded upset.

Sasuke grimaced and wriggled closer, closing his eyes again. "Thanks," he murmured.

"I know it's not what you want, but I'm very proud of you." Itachi rested his hand on Sasuke's. "I know you'll be great."

Sasuke turned his hand and squeezed Itachi's.

"I'm going to get really strong so I can help you," he whispered. "And Shisui too, I guess," he added after a moment.

Itachi chuckled quietly. "You don't have to rush, Sasuke."

But he did need to rush.

"Tachi, I - " he stopped. "Thanks for being the best brother," he said eventually.

Itachi squeezed his hand. "I'll always be here for you, Sasuke."

In the park with Naruto, Sasuke spotted two vaguely familiar figures playing across from them. He stared at them for a moment, trying to remember their names.

"Whatcha looking at, Sasuke? Wanna play ninja-tag with them?" Naruto asked excitedly.

Sasuke gave a noncommittal shrug that Naruto took as a definite yes, and then proceeded to drag him across the park to the boys. One had sharp eyes and spiky hair, the other a bag of potato chips he didn't need.

"Hey!" Naruto said enthusiastically, drawing their attention.

"Hello," the big one said, a little shy.

"Huh. Who are you?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, believe it!" Naruto introduced himself, then pointed his thumb at Sasuke. "This is Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke nodded to them both, and he saw their eyes light up with recognition at his clan name. They were clan kids, old classmates, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember their names. Something Nara…

"I'm Shikamaru, this is Chouji."

The Nara was Shikamaru. Sasuke sort of remembered him from the academy, and briefly from the war. His mind ticked over, shuffling through the memories he had of him; he was supposed to be a genius.

"Cool! Wanna play ninja-tag?"

Shikamaru studied Naruto, then glanced at Sasuke, and then at Chouji, who seemed eager and gave a drawn-out sigh.

"Come on, Shikamaru. It'll be fun," Chouji said with a smile.

"Fine, what a drag," Shikamaru muttered.

Sasuke was inclined to agree with him. But, at the same time, thought that if he could make friends with the other clans and bring them around the district, maybe it would help lessen some of the tension in some way. He didn't particularly have an interest in many of the other people he'd been classmates with, except for Naruto and Sakura, but Shikamaru would be a good ally if he did turn out to be a genius. Judging by the easy friendship between him and Chouji, it seemed like they were a package deal. After a couple of hours, when they were all spent and Chouji was complaining that he was hungry, the games ended. Sasuke could admit that he did have some fun, and was pleased when Naruto asked the other two if they'd come and play again that they agreed. It seemed like they didn't carry a prejudice against Naruto, and that was a good thing, in Sasuke's mind. Sasuke watched them leave thoughtfully, wondering how he was going to remain close to them if he attended the academy a year early.

Naruto, with his boundless energy, got Sasuke's attention by throwing an abandoned ball at his head. Irritation rose in him, and he chased after Naruto, who shrieked after seeing the look in Sasuke's eyes. Both of them ended up going home with cuts and bruises, but that didn't stop the little smiles on each of their faces when the other wasn't looking.

A few weeks after Fugaku's announcement, Sasuke was finally called before the Hokage, council and Academy leaders for his assessment. Early enrolment was uncommon and only approved for exceptional youths. He could easily fail the assessment, but that would only shame his father and clan, and that was something Sasuke was unwilling to do, particularly in the presence of the Hokage and Danzo Shimura. Sasuke was lucky that Danzo wasn't looking in his direction when Sasuke entered the room because being confronted with that man caused a vile hatred to burn within Sasuke that took a moment for him to wipe his face of the emotion. If anyone else noticed, they didn't say anything.

During the hour-long assessment, Sasuke was forced to answer a multitude of general knowledge questions about Konoha, its history and shinobi life. When the oral examination was finished, he was then asked to perform a series of basic and then more advanced exercise in chakra manipulation, control, taijutsu, and weaponry. He made sure that he kept some things back, not showing everything he could do, and answered all the questions in a manner that showed utterly loyalty to the village, and with as little information as possible, a technique he'd picked up from Kakashi and Orochimaru, in their respective methods. He and his father were dismissed and asked to wait outside the hall while they deliberated. Sasuke could feel Danzo's eyes following him out and it made his skin crawl.

"You did well," Fugaku told him once they were outside.

Sasuke looked up at him. "Father, I — " he cut off. He didn't know what he wanted to say, or how to convey what he was feeling. "I'm…sorry," he said after a moment, looking down. "For my attitude," he added.

Fugaku was quiet for a moment.

"Don't look down when you apologise, Sasuke. Always keep your head high and carry yourself with pride and dignity."

Sasuke looked up, expecting to see the familiar sternness in his father's expression. Instead, he saw something a little softer.

"I - I am also sorry," Fugaku murmured quietly.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, and then a smile bloomed across his face.

"I thought you said don't look down when you apologise," he teased.

It took a moment for Fugaku to understand the joke, but when he did he just folded his arms over his chest and snorted a short laugh, and Sasuke felt a knot that had been weighing him down release. They didn't talk again for some time while they waited, but Sasuke somehow felt like he had gotten a little closer to his father.

"Father," Sasuke said, suddenly curious about something. Fugaku looked at him questioningly. "Did you know the Fourth Hokage?"

Fugaku seemed surprised by the question.

"I did."

"What did you think of him?" Sasuke asked. "I read that he was a great shinobi."

Fugaku looked over at the stone faces.

"Lord Fourth was a very powerful shinobi, and a better man."

Sasuke noticed the soberness of his voice.

"Was he your friend?"

Fugaku looked back at Sasuke and gave a slow nod.

"We were not close, but - yes, I considered him as such."

Sasuke glanced at the image of Naruto's father, sorry that Naruto wouldn't be able to meet him for a long time, if at all. The door opened and they were called back inside. It was made official. Sasuke was accepted into the academy a year early - and Danzo seemed very unhappy. Sasuke couldn't help the smug smile on his face when he caught the mans eye briefly. He was going to find a way to destroy Danzo again, and he would relish in it.

On Itachi's next day off, Sasuke forced him and Shisui to take him out and help him celebrate making it into the academy. Itachi attempted to get out of it, stating that he had to train, but Sasuke was adamant and Itachi eventually caved after a lot of pouting and the minor threat of being known as a bad brother. Sasuke was in surprisingly good spirits, and his true intention wasn't for himself at all. He tugged on Shisui's shirt and whispered his plan to him. Shisui was surprised and then immediately on board. Itachi glanced at them warily, asking what they were planning, and Sasuke gave him an innocent smile which only set Itachi more on edge. Shisui bought Sasuke the dango, and Sasuke led Itachi towards the lake so they could sit and eat together. Itachi only noticed Shisui's absence when they went to sit down and realised exactly what was happening when Shisui returned with Izumi Uchiha in tow. Sasuke hid his smile by eating a stick of dango, and offered one to Izumi.

"I'm going to the academy early, so we're celebrating," Sasuke told her.

"Is that right? Congratulations, Sasuke! That's amazing," Izumi's eyes shone with delight. "Itachi must be so proud of you."

Itachi, who had resolutely turned away, didn't answer, and Izumi looked a little sad.

"Tachi, you're making Izumi cry," Sasuke whispered to his brother with a frown.

Shisui hid his laughter with a snort that became a cough, and Itachi turned to glare at him.

"I'm not crying," Izumi said quickly and confused.

Sasuke stood up.

"Um. Izumi, you should sit with Tachi," he said.

Izumi blushed a little and looked hesitantly at Itachi.

"If that's okay…"

"It's Itachi's day off," Shisui told her. "So we're trying to get him to lighten up a little with some dango."

Izumi sat and smiled at Itachi, and held up a stick to him.

"Why not?" She asked him. "It's good to relax now and then."

Sasuke took a step back. He felt a little weird about sharing Itachi with someone else, Itachi was _his_ brother. But at the same time, he couldn't find it in him to be selfish towards his brother anymore. Itachi was the most selfless person he knew. Itachi turned to her and eyed the dango longingly. Shisui elbowed Sasuke and winked at him, a motion that didn't go unnoticed by Itachi. He took the dango from Izumi, a little red in his cheeks and Izumi smiled brightly. Sasuke turned away.

"Can you teach me something?" He asked Shisui.

"Sure, kid. Come on, let's leave these two alone," Shisui smiled.

"Sasuke - I thought you wanted to spend the day with me?"

Itachi pulled out a face and voice that might have guilted Sasuke at one time, but not right now. He glanced at Izumi, who was slowly beginning to understand what was happening. Sasuke grinned cheekily, and Itachi's eyes widened a fraction before narrowing.

"Have a good date, Tachi!"

Then he ran off with Shisui, leaving Itachi and Izumi alone on the pier with their dango. Shisui laughed after they ran far enough that they felt safe from Itachi's glare. He ruffled Sasuke's hair.

"That was sweet of you, Sasuke," he said. "I thought you adored Itachi too much to share him," Shisui teased.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"If she wasn't nice I wouldn't do it," Sasuke said firmly.

Shisui grinned. "Yeah, but you're going to have to deal with an angry Itachi when he gets home," he said.

"You will too," Sasuke retorted.

"Yeah, but I'm quick enough to get away," Shisui replied. "You're just a slow little academy pup."

"Then teach me how to be fast," Sasuke said, suddenly serious. "You train with Tachi, train me too."

Shisui looked at him curiously. "You're really focused on getting stronger, aren't you?"

Sasuke nodded. "I have things to protect," he said.

"Like what?" Shisui questioned.

Sasuke hadn't realised Shisui was so nosey. He asked so many questions.

"Itachi," Sasuke immediately replied. "And Naruto, and the…Konoha I want to see in the future." Sasuke paused for a second, "and you too, I guess."

"Oh, I'm touched," Shisui laughed. "Well. I guess that's a good reason to want to be stronger. How about we make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"If you get into the top three of your class at the end of the term, I'll train you."

Top three? Considering the first term of the academy was practically all theory and basics, Sasuke was guaranteed to win.

"Deal."

Word that Sasuke would be entering the Academy a year earlier than his age group got around the village quickly. People looked at him a little more cautiously and whispered about him. He wouldn't have cared at any other time, but it seemed to make the villagers a little uneasy and that affected his clan. _Another Uchiha prodigy_ , they whispered. It was as if Sasuke's new status had added a fan to the flames of the feeling that his clan growing in strength was a bad thing. Sasuke had an inkling that he was slowly beginning to understand why Itachi had felt so trapped into slaughtering the clan. Since he would be starting in a few weeks, he couldn't put off telling Naruto any longer. The revelations to his friend prompted an outburst he knew was coming.

"WHAT? YOU CAN'T! I'M GOING TOO!"

Sasuke sighed. He knew that Naruto was going to explode. He didn't expect the secondary reaction to be one of hurt.

"I thought we were going together…"

Naruto looked small and upset, and Sasuke winced at seeing him like that. Guilt tore at him.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I wanted to go with you too."

He really did. Out of everyone he'd known, Naruto was the one person he actually fully remembered from the Academy, because he was the one person who made an impact on him. Now he'd be going into a new year with new classmates and he didn't know what to expect. Sasuke felt selfish, but at this moment, he needed to put his brother first. Naruto was always going to be there, and if Sasuke wasn't careful, his brother wouldn't. Naruto clenched his jaw and then looked at Sasuke with resolute determination.

"Well, I'm still gonna be the Hokage one day! Believe it!"

Sasuke smiled, feeling unusually generous and not like he wanted to tease. "I already told you, loser, I do believe it."

Naruto fell back with a sigh. "This sucks! I want to go to the academy too, but Gramps said I have to wait until next year."

"I'll tell you what I learn, so when you go you'll have a head start," Sasuke said.

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Really? Yes! Thanks, Sasuke."

"You probably won't understand it, cos you're an idiot, though," Sasuke smirked.

Predictably, Naruto tackled him.

A week into the Academy and Sasuke wanted to kill himself. Not only were the classes the most mind-numbing and boring things in the world, the other students were so annoying. The girls, especially. Sasuke had purposefully not sought out Sakura because he knew she was irritating when she was young, and not that it wouldn't be nice to see her and befriend her - he would like to do that one day. But he felt slightly uncomfortable knowing that she was going to almost immediately have a crush on him, and he was mentally a lot older than her. Sakura was….someone he'd deal with later.

Since he was also the youngest student, he was watched and challenged and whispered about. Sasuke honestly couldn't care less for the things they said about him. He had decided to adopt a similar approach to the Academy that his brother had; avoidance and silence. He didn't need to make friends with these people, nor did he need to make enemies of them. Eventually, in a couple of months or a year, when he had enough chakra and mastered the Shadow Clone technique, he'd be out. The only positive that Sasuke discovered in coming to the academy was that three of his classmates were somewhat familiar. He shared a class with Neji Hyuga, TenTen, and Rock Lee. He didn't know them well, and could only recall faint details of them. But it hadn't escaped Neji's notice that the only ones Sasuke had paid any attention to were the three of them, and he knew that Neji was watching him closely. Neji, he quickly remembered, was a prodigy of his clan. He looked at Sasuke as a threat, and Sasuke knew that he had suffered his own torments in his family. Currently, Neji seemed to like the old Sasuke for Sasuke to feel comfortable around him. He was reminded of things he'd once said and did that he'd rather forget.

TenTen was the only girl in his class that was not completely irritating. She was focused and driven, for a six-year-old. There was no doubt in her mind that she was going to become a great shinobi, and although she was less annoying than the other girls, she was still a girl who giggled and shrieked at times. It had taken Sasuke a moment to recognise Rock Lee out of his green jumpsuit. That image would forever be branded into his mind as something both unforgettable and horrifying to consider wearing, but the enthusiasm and eyebrows were just as hard to forget. Upon discovering that Sasuke was an Uchiha, and an apparent prodigy, Lee had taken it upon himself to challenge him, just as he challenged Neji. Lee wanted to prove himself, and Sasuke was almost envious of the guileless way Lee was. Part of him wished he'd been able to approach his own ambitions with Lee's bright determination, instead of the darker way Sasuke had previously lived. But if that meant becoming an absolute weirdo without any sense of fashion, there was no chance in hell.

Sasuke studied him for a moment before answering. He knew it was going to be the worst and most horrible choice, but the benefits would eventually outweigh the negatives. He knew that Lee was incredibly gifted and hard-working, he would be a great sparring partner and help to increase the rate of improvement in his physical stamina and taijutsu.

"I decline."

Lee became distraught, going on about something Sasuke did not care to hear, and Sasuke held up his hand.

"I wasn't finished."

Lee quietened, trembling with barely contained determination and energy.

"I don't want to fight you; I want to train with you."

Stunned, Lee questioned if he'd heard Sasuke correctly. Sasuke knew that the rest of the class was listening closely. Lee was scorned for not having any ability in ninjutsu or genjutsu, which was utterly ridiculous. He had witnessed the incredible strength of both Lee and Might Gai and knew that taijutsu masters were perhaps even more impressive than the regular shinobi. Adding different styles of taijutsu to his repertoire couldn't hurt, and Lee would certainly challenge him as much as Naruto could.

"I don't care that you can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. That's not what I'm asking for."

Lee's eyes wavered and his lips quivered and Sasuke cringed away, instantly regretting everything.

"Then I will train extra-hard to become a taijutsu master and be worthy to be the training partner of such a gracious Uchiha!"

Sasuke cleared his throat. He heard a scoff from the other side of the room and saw it was Neji, looking at them scornfully.

"Hn," Sasuke replied with a small nod, unsure what to say.

"Then shall we meet after class to train?"

"No." Lee was disheartened. "We'll…discuss training schedules."

Lee immediately perked up and looked at Sasuke with a mixture of emotions that including admiration, gratitude, determination, scrutiny and others Sasuke couldn't identify. Lee gave him a thumbs up and went back to his seat. That was the most he had spoken to another student since he entered the academy. He was already exhausted. Sasuke sank into his seat at the back corner of the room with a sigh and waited their sensei to arrive for the lesson to be over, grateful that the seat beside him was empty, mostly because he'd glared at everyone who had come near him the first day, and he didn't have to explain himself to anyone. He barely heard the rest of the lesson, and when they were dismissed and he was collecting his books for the day, Lee announced that he would wait outside and Sasuke gave a small nod. He heard a giggle beside him and glanced over to see TenTen looking at him.

"That was nice of you," she said with a friendly smile. "I'm TenTen."

"Sasuke."

"Rock Lee is a bit weird, but he's not a bad person," she said. "Just a little … energetic."

_"Hn."_

TenTen peered at him curiously. "You don't talk much, do you, Sasuke? Today was the most I heard you talk all week!"

Sasuke shrugged.

"Okay, well, see you tomorrow!"

TenTen left with her friends, who glanced back at him and whispered something behind their hands. Sasuke ignored them.

"He will never be a shinobi. Why are you encouraging him?"

Sasuke looked up to see Neji had approached him, his pale eyes studying him with intensity.

"I don't have to answer to you," Sasuke replied coolly, putting on his backpack.

Neji seemed irritated by his answer.

"There is no point in delaying the inevitable. He shouldn't even be in the academy."

Sasuke eyes narrowed.

"Do you disagree, Uchiha?" Neji challenged him.

Sasuke waited a moment before he answered. "Yes."

Neji seemed affronted, but let him go with narrowed, angry and calculative eyes. Outside the doors, Sasuke briefly met with Lee and organised to train three times a week after school finished. Lee was beyond happy and excited and Sasuke could only stare at him with undisguised awe that resonated with both the negative and positive ends of the spectrum. Faintly he felt a familiar presence approaching, and quickly said good-bye to Lee, hoping he would get the hint and not follow him.

"Tachi!" Sasuke ran over to his brother. "I thought you were on a mission."

Itachi smiled and poked his forehead. "I got back just now," he said. "How was school?"

Sasuke thought about Neji and Lee. "Interesting," he shrugged apathetically.

"Have you made any new friends?"

"Not really."

"Who was that boy you were just talking too?" Itachi asked.

"Rock Lee," Sasuke replied. "He's…my new training partner."

Unless Rock Lee developed a new personality that didn't make Sasuke cringe, he definitely wasn't going to be using the word friend to define him. Sasuke had enough energetic losers in his life with Naruto.

"Only a week in the academy and you already have a training partner, how impressive," Itachi said with a smile.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's not. If you meet him, you'll see why."

"Hmm. I suppose I'll take your word for it."

They chatted on the walk home until Sasuke saw a familiar mass of white hair and froze in his tracks. A slow smile spread over his face as he thought of a new way to spend his time off. After all, stalking his ex-sensei was good training, and getting him back for all the times Kakashi was late and all the other ridiculous tricks he played on their old team sounded like a good excuse to blow off some of his stress. Kakashi Hatake had just become Sasuke's new plaything, and he didn't even know it yet.


	3. knowing too much

Kakashi faintly wondered if Minato-sensei and Obito were sending the little demons to haunt him on purpose.

The first time he noticed he was being followed he'd been on alert. It was not usual for him to be trailed through the village so he hid and waited. He'd never been more surprised to see a child, let alone an Uchiha child, be the one following him. Then again, he supposed that maybe the kid had heard about his - Obito's - eye and was curious. It took a few more attempts of the same kid following him before he thought that maybe it wasn't just idle curiosity. The kid was skilled and somehow kept popping up in places he frequented, which was disconcerting, to say the least. Not even Guy found him in some of those places.

Further investigation revealed that the kid was the second son of the clan head, Sasuke, who was apparently a genius after his elder brother, even as far as having a special recommendation to enter the academy a year early. He was also the best friend of Naruto Uzumaki, which Kakashi should've put together earlier, considering he'd seen the two of them together fairly frequently. It was how, Kakashi thought tiredly, he'd recruited Minato's kid into being his stalking buddy. Naruto was not as subtle or quiet as Sasuke and often gave away their position with his giggle, bickering or loud movements. It was almost amusing, but he did not want or need kids following him around for any reason.

Kakashi didn't expect the pranks Naruto usually pulled to be turned on him and he definitely suspected Sasuke was the real mastermind behind them. The day his shampoo had the faintest whiff of dye in it was the day Kakashi had had enough. How they had managed to get into his apartment to spike his shampoo was an infuriating mystery, let alone how they knew where he lived. He slammed his shampoo into his wastebasket, dressed furiously fast and summoned Pakkun to hunt the Uchiha brat down.

•••

When Sasuke saw the pug coming towards him he smirked with satisfaction. He stopped walking towards the academy and instead headed for the bridge where Team 7 used to meet for missions.

"Hey kid," Pakkun said, trotting up beside him.

"Hello," Sasuke answered. "You're a ninja hound."

"Yep. Name's Pakkun."

"Sasuke Uchiha."

He glanced down and saw that Pakkun was giving him a level, curious look. Sasuke gave him an equal look back and saw something like amusement cross Pakkun's eyes.

"Listen, pup, the boss is a bit upset with you."

Sasuke tried and failed to hold back a smirk.

"Who's your boss?" Sasuke asked, his tone making it clear he already knew.

"I reckon you know, pup. But shouldn't you be going to the academy?" Pakkun asked, eyeing his backpack.

Sasuke shrugged.

"I don't think Kakashi will be patient enough to wait for me to finish for the day before he finds me, do you?"

"You... seem to know a lot about the boss," Pakkun said carefully.

Sasuke shrugged and didn't reply.

"So where are you going?" Pakkun questioned.

"For a walk."

"Mind if I come?"

Sasuke shrugged again and kept walking, wondering what Kakashi was going to say.

•••

Kakashi tracked Sasuke and Pakkun to a familiar place a little on the village outskirts and his eyes narrowed at the location. Why did Sasuke come all the way out here, of all places? Kakashi saw the brat sitting in the bridge with his legs crossed, his backpack laid beside him and Pakkun sitting in front of him. They were in the midst of a discussion about ninja cats versus hounds, and Kakashi remembered the Uchiha had an affinity for cats. Even when Kakashi was standing over the boy, even after Pakkun had greeted him, Sasuke still didn't acknowledge him. Kakashi narrowed his eyes dangerously at the kid who was either a brave or an idiot. After Pakkun departed with a slightly worried and warning look to Kakashi, who gave him a short nod, Sasuke stood up and put his backpack back on over his shoulders. He finally raised his head and looked at Kakashi and Kakashi fought to keep his fists from clenching at the victorious smirk on the brats face.

"Yo," Sasuke said his tone mocking.

Kakashi breathed deeply, controlled.

"You know, it's bad manners to break into someone else's apartment," Kakashi said evenly. "Also very dangerous."

Sasuke's smirk widened and his eyes drifted up to Kakashi's hair.

"I never set foot in your apartment, I just know where you shop."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed further.

"Listen, kid, you might be some kind of new generation genius, but you don't - "

Sasuke shook his head.

"No, you listen, Kakashi since you finally decided to let me talk to you."

Surprised, Kakashi's mouth twitched. That was what all the pranks and stalking was about? The kid wanted to talk to him?

"Oh?" He said with interest.

The kids smirk washed away and was replaced with a more serious expression.

"You... you owe a lot to my clan, right?"

Kakashi was careful to keep from showing any visible response, but the kid seemed to not need one.

"So if someone or something was hurting the clan, would you help?"

Kakashi stilled and stared at the kid, trying to figure out how a five year old had the clarity of mind to ask a question like that, and more importantly why he would ask it in the first place.

"If the Uchiha were being harmed in some way the village would protect the clan, just like any other clan."

Apparently that was not the right response because the kid rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"You don't believe that?" Kakashi asked curiously.

Sasuke eyed him a moment.

"Do you?" He countered. "Why would the village protect the Uchiha when it doesn't even protect Naruto?"

At that, Kakashi stared hard at Sasuke, and Sasuke looked like he realised he'd said something he shouldn't have. Kakashi's suspicions about the kid rose.

"Naruto?" He asked.

Sasuke cleared his throat.

"My best friend," Sasuke said in a quieter voice. "The villagers are always saying mean things to him and sometimes trying to hurt him, and he's just a kid like me."

Sasuke looked and sounded like a child at that moment, but Kakashi wasn't convinced by the act, especially not after the way he'd just spoken to him. It was a good act, but not convincing in the slightest, not to him. He'd have to keep an eye on the brat.

"So if the village won't protect my friend why would it protect my clan?" Sasuke asked again.

"Shouldn't you be at the academy, kid?" Kakashi questioned, changing the discussion from the oddly difficult topic.

Sasuke seemed to sense the conversation was over. He was about to answer before he slowly closed his mouth and a devilish smirk spread across his face making Kakashi want to get away as soon as possible.

"Why don't you teach me something, Kakashi- _s_ _ensei_?"

Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise and then he disappeared and a puff of smoke.

•••

Sasuke chuckled lightly when Kakashi disappeared in panic before he heading back to the academy where he was looking forward to explaining he was late because of his new, favourite 'Kakashi-sensei.' As expected, his academy instructor didn't believe him and reprimanded him by sending him into the hall and with a letter sent home to his parents. They weren't impressed and Sasuke was forced to endure a long lecture about respecting his elders and a gentle but serious pressing to stay away from Kakashi, which he supposed made sense. The Kakashi he'd observed wasn't the same man that had been his sensei. He was definitely a darker type of man, but it didn't scare Sasuke, it just made him more eager to get under his skin.

He was sure that Kakashi would be keeping a closer eye on him after his slip-up about Naruto, and considering what he'd said about his clan, and that was a good thing. The more that Kakashi could decipher, could see, could observe, the more likely he would be to actually listen when the time came, and that was what Sasuke needed. He needed Kakashi who was one of the strongest shinobi in the village, who had ties to Danzo and the Third, was feared and respected and connected forever to his clan. There was a sense of loyalty to Obito that Sasuke planned to exploit, however guilty that made him feel to do, because for Sasuke, his brother came first.

As surprising as it was, Sasuke's lunchtimes were not spent alone like he wanted. Somehow, Lee and Tenten and even Neji had become his companions, which provided an interesting dynamic considering Neji seemed to hold contempt for both him and Lee, and Sasuke didn't understand why he spent time with them in the first place. Tenten was the peacemaker, smoothing over every argument, and Lee was just Lee: energetic and irritating and annoyingly sincere. Most of the time he was silent, ignoring the glares Neji gave him and responding to Lee's exuberant displays of life with grunts and monosyllables. But there were days when Neji decided to take out his own life's frustrations on Lee and Sasuke couldn't keep quiet.

 _"Hn._ You're annoying," he said with a scowl.

Neji glared and Tenten looked between them anxiously while Lee sat slumped and down hearted.

"The sooner he understands he's not cut out to be a shinobi, the better," Neji said, more harshly than a six-year-old ought too.

Sasuke scoffed.

"Obviously everyone who thinks you're a genius is an idiot," Sasuke snapped.

"Sasuke, that's not - "

Neji's sharp glare cut Tenten off.

"Only a fool would try to escape their fate."

Sasuke clenched his fist and jaw. It hadn't been a good night for him, he'd had a nightmare about his past regrets, and added to the insufferable comments Neji was making about not changing fate, things were hitting a little too close to home for Sasuke to handle. He glared at Neji.

"If you're so unhappy, do something about it instead of complaining," Sasuke hissed.

Neji fumed and Sasuke turned from him to Lee.

"Are you going to accept that?"

He stared hard at this young Lee, who hadn't yet met Might Guy and was without a youthful spirit companion. Lee looked at him, gaze wavering for a moment and Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Do you want to be a shinobi or not?" He snapped.

He couldn't believe he almost missed the future Lee; at least he was more firm in his beliefs. Lee's eyes steeled with a familiar determination.

"Yes! I will become the best shinobi I can be and a master in taijutsu!" He declared before he turned to Neji. "I will prove it to you Neji! I will be great even without being able to use chakra."

Neji shook his head, having had enough, and stood.

"We don't always get what we want," he said darkly and then left them.

Tenten looked between Neji's retreating figure and at Sasuke and Lee biting her lip. Sasuke scowled, wondering if it were possible to speed up time so Naruto could punch sense into Neji already.

"Why do you and Neji always fight?" Tenten questioned Sasuke.

Sasuke glanced at her and then away.

"The Hyuga and Uchiha have a rivalry," he replied.

Lee and Tenten frowned.

"That's not the truth," Tenten answered, upset. "Why are you lying? I thought we were friends."

Sasuke's brow twitched and he fought the urge to apologise. Instead, he gave a tired sigh and stood up.

"Break is over."

He returned to the class alone.

Sasuke watched with amusement as Naruto squirmed under Mikoto's motherly glare, her hands in her hips.

"Naruto! You told me you were cleaning up like Sasuke showed you! Look at this mess!"

She pointed to the unmade bed, the pile of smelly, dirty clothes, the unwashed bowls and off milk on the table. Naruto gave a nervous chuckle.

"Sorry, Mikoto, I forgot!"

Mikoto sighed and shook her head.

"All right. Sasuke, here." She pulled out her purse and handed him some money. "You two boys go and get some lunch and play. I'm going to stay here and clean up."

Sasuke nodded and Naruto gave her a shy, sheepish hug around her legs and Mikoto's face softened.

"Thanks, Mikoto," Naruto mumbled.

She patted his head fondly.

"Don't get into too much trouble," she warned them.

Sasuke and Naruto ran out of his house and into the village, predictably, right to Ichiraku Ramen.

•••

Mikoto looked around Naruto's little flat with a tired, sorrowful sigh before she set about to clean it. She opened all the windows first, trying to breathe some fresh air into the musty, stale place. She thought it would only be a matter of minutes before someone showed up, and she wasn't disappointed, although she was annoyed. Two knocks at the door and she opened it to see the Hokage himself standing there, giving her a pleasant smile, which she returned, equally pleasant.

"Good afternoon, Lord Hokage," she greeted him.

"Good afternoon, Mikoto. Might I come inside?"

Mikoto stepped aside, noting the ANBU stationed outside the door.

"I'd offer you tea, but I'm afraid it might cause some ill side effects," she said wryly.

The Hokage chuckled in understanding and she closed the door behind him.

"Not to worry, I'm quite all right," he said. He looked around. "I see Naruto is out."

Mikoto pursed her lips.

"I sent Naruto and Sasuke out to have lunch while I clean," she said to him.

"Is that so?"

Mikoto folded her arms over her chest.

"Someone has to take care of that boy," she said evenly, the implication and disapproval in her voice clear. The Hokage turned to face her.

"The village provides for Naruto."

"A constant ANBU surveillance, a stipend he doesn't know how to spend properly because he is a _child_ , and a flat is _not_ what his parents would have wanted," Mikoto said in a tight and angry voice.

The Hokage turned and gave her a sharp look, and Mikoto's heart raced.

"Do you really think I wouldn't recognise the son of my best friend and her husband?" She asked, standing straight. "His personality is exactly like his mother and he looks just like his father. Why don't we stop the pretence, Lord Hokage? What are you doing here? Are you worried about the Uchiha corrupting him?" She snapped, her anger and frustration getting the better of her.

The Hokage's eyes narrowed and she fought to not cringe away from his intimidation.

"Those are dangerous words, Mikoto. I expected better from you," he said in a low voice.

She took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"Naruto is more than just a child of the village," the Hokage said. Mikoto clenched her jaw. "You understand why there are reservations about him having such a close relationship with the Uchiha clan."

"They're just boys," Mikoto said in a strained voice. "It's an innocent friendship."

"Yes," he replied. "I agree. It is important for Naruto to make friends, and I believe that your son is genuine in his friendship."

Mikoto looked at him in confusion.

"What else could he be? He's five years old!"

The Hokage gave a heavy sigh and gave her a tight smile.

"You must be very proud to have two such intelligent children, Mikoto," he said to her.

She narrowed her eyes.

"Lord Hokage, please speak plainly. I'm proud of both my children, and I know they are both beyond their years. I don't understand what you're implying."

He gave her an apologetic look.

"I must ask you not to come to Naruto's home anymore. For the good of the village and your clan."

Mikoto's hands shook.

"I understand," she said, bowing her head to him. "I'll clean today and then leave."

She spoke through gritted teeth.

"Leave an ANBU here if your precious council is so concerned about me."

She turned away, hiding the frustration and angry tears in her eyes. Moments later, the Hokage left, and an ANBU remained.

•••

Sasuke noticed that his mother was hiding something when he and Naruto returned. Naruto didn't notice, he was too excited about the now-spotless flat he lived in. He gave Mikoto a big hug, and she smiled, but Sasuke frowned when he saw it was forced. He held her hand tightly on the way home, wishing he knew what had happened but unable to ask.

Time passed and Sasuke found himself reluctantly enjoying his time at the academy again. It was nice to there without the shadow of the massacre and hatred of Itachi looming over him constantly. Lee and Tenten were better company than he thought they would be, and Neji quickly became both the rival of him and Lee. Sasuke suffered being targeted by the older and insecure kids, and quickly put to rest any thoughts that he avoided conflict like Itachi had. Sasuke was more than happy to put fools in their place, and while it gave him satisfaction to do so, it also increased the frequency of the attacks and painted him in a bad light to the sensei. He eventually just avoided the bullies and endured the mocking comments until they saw that he didn't care and backed away.

Naruto was painfully slow in improving his own skills when Sasuke tried to teach him anything, and on observing them one afternoon, Shikamaru asked Sasuke why he was bothering in the first place when it was clearly bothersome. Sasuke told him to figure it out himself. It wasn't long after that that Sasuke invited Shikamaru and Chouji over to his house for dinner, putting his plan for improving clan-to-clan relations into action. It took a few days, and Sasuke's persistent asking before it happened, and when it did he saw that the atmosphere wasn't as relaxed as he'd have liked it. One afternoon at the park, when Chouji and Naruto were locked in a discussion about something inane, Shikamaru was laying in the grass and staring at the clouds and Sasuke lay down beside him.

"Why are you so insistent about dinner together?" Shikamaru asked him.

Sasuke smirked, glad to have finally piqued the curiosity of the Nara. With Shikamaru Sasuke knew he could talk a little more openly, a little less like a child. If he managed it right, Shikaku would be made aware of things that he may not have been aware of in the past, and that could help a lot. As far as Sasuke knew, only the Hokage and the council knew the truth about the relations between the village and the Uchiha. Other clans might have their own suspicions, but the depth of the truth wasn't known. Sasuke's smirk dropped.

"I think my clan is isolated," he replied.

Shikamaru glanced at him briefly and then let out a big sigh.

"Sounds troublesome," he said.

Sasuke silently agreed.

"The village doesn't really like my clan," Sasuke said quietly.

Shikamaru didn't reply and his eyes were closed, but Sasuke knew he was listening.

"If we have more friends and show that we're nice, things might get better."

Simple, short, but informative enough for Shikamaru to know that things were happening under the surface, and so that Shikaku would also pick up on it if Shikamaru said something to him. Small steps to start with.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

Sasuke saw Sakura for the first time in the park and paused. Naruto, oblivious, ran ahead to the swing-set, while Sasuke debated what to do, suddenly nervous. He wasn't prepared to meet Sakura yet but she looked up and around when Naruto screamed with delight for him to hurry up and come and play, and she saw him and immediately blushed and he sighed. Then he saw Ino and sighed more heavily. There was no avoiding it now. Sasuke walked up to them with a small scowl and his hands in his pockets. The girls stared in disbelief at him, clearly not expecting him to do so.

"Sasuke!" Ino stammered, trying to appear like she wasn't freaking out.

Sasuke barely looked at her. He kept his eyes on Sakura, who was looking at him with some awe and nervousness.

"H-hello," she stuttered.

"Sakura."

Both Sakura and Ino looked shocked that Sasuke knew her name. He saw the way Ino's expression faltered and he scowled causing the two to flinch away.

"Naruto and I are going to play. If you want you can too," he said gruffly.

Then he walked away and left them to do what they wanted. Naruto, who'd been watching from afar questioned Sasuke when he returned, and Sasuke merely shrugged in response and told Naruto they were the same age and might play if he was nice. Unsurprisingly, the girls didn't play with them that day, but several days later they did, although Sasuke was immediately annoyed with Ino, who clung to him and ignored both Sakura and Naruto. It was obvious that she had also been in some stupid little conflict with Sakura, the way that girls were. He soon grew annoyed with Sakura, who was mean to Naruto. Fed up seeing Naruto pretending like he was okay, Sasuke snapped at Sakura and Ino.

"If you can't be friends with Naruto, you can't be friends with me," he snapped. "I don't like girls who fight over stupid things like boys. We're going to be shinobi, so grow up."

He grabbed Naruto by the arm and stormed out of the park, leaving the shellshocked Ino and Sakura behind, and hardly listened to Naruto as he complained about leaving the 'super-pretty and nice Sakura' behind. Weeks passed before he saw either Ino or Sakura again. He definitely hadn't been avoiding them, and he definitely wasn't spending time wishing that he was older again and that Sakura was older again either. Definitely not. Sasuke had merely not been where they were. He'd instead been with his brother and Shisui and had taken to showing Naruto around the Uchiha District instead of the park.

When he wasn't at the academy, with Lee, or Naruto, Sasuke was back into his training and trying to bridge the gap between his clan and some of the others. There were times he wished that he had Naruto's more open personality because he was exhausted with all the talking he'd been doing, especially when he realised that bridging the gap between his clan and others meant he had to make Ino a part of his plans. The night he managed to have the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi leaders over for dinner under the guise of a 'play-date', in which he and Shikamaru endured Ino, Itachi confronted him.

"Why do you keep bringing people around when you don't like it?" He asked as Sasuke was getting into bed.

Sasuke paused and then continued to get ready to sleep. Itachi came into the room and pulled his blanket up, tucking Sasuke in, before sitting on the edge of the bed. He poked Sasuke in the head with a little smile, but his eyes were concerned.

"I know you, Sasuke. You're putting up with looking interested, but why?"

Sasuke pursed his lips.

"The other clans are all friends," he replied. "Why don't we have friends like them?"

Itachi stared at him for a moment, clearly surprised by his answer.

"I don't really care if they're my friends. But if mother and father have more friends from other clans, maybe the village will like us better," he continued, watching his brother carefully to see his reaction.

Itachi stared at Sasuke for a long time.

"I thought I said you didn't need to worry about those things," he said eventually.

Sasuke frowned.

"Why not? You're a kid too and you worry."

Itachi gave him a small smile.

"That's what big brothers do," he replied. "Good night, Sasuke."

"Night, 'Tachi."

Sasuke settled into his blankets and fell asleep almost immediately, and in his last moments of consciousness, vowing to take the next week off of all socialising whatsoever.

Sasuke finished top of his class in the first term just like he said he would and Shisui was forced to bend to his will and train with him. During his break from the academy, Shisui had Sasuke running drills and Sasuke was pleased to see that his cousin was surprised and impressed by his skills and promised that when he and Itachi were training together, he'd let Sasuke come along sometimes too.

It was immediately obvious that Neji was not pleased by the results, and judging from his glares and storming out of the school, he now thoroughly despised Sasuke. Itachi had come to collect Sasuke on his last day and saw the Hyuga leave and the worried looks Tenten was throwing between the pair of them and questioned Sasuke what the problem was. He just shrugged and said it wasn't something to worry about, but privately, Sasuke did worry. After a few days, he decided it would be better if he didn't continue to draw attention to himself. Neji was supposed to be the genius in that age-group, and Sasuke was little more than an interloper.

On Naruto's birthday, Sasuke and Itachi broke into his apartment and with a lot of reluctance cleaned the place up. Itachi, who usually kept his opinions to himself, couldn't help but express that he couldn't fathom how dirty it managed to get so quickly. Naruto, predictably, didn't wake up once or stir in his sleep while they were inside. Sasuke, feeling devious, ripped the blankets off him and dumped cold water on his face. The chaos that ensued rendered their cleaning pointless, but Sasuke did manage to have fun until Itachi picked them both up by their collars and gave them a stern warning to behave. When they brought out the cake they'd hidden for him, Naruto blubbered and hugged them both very tightly. Sasuke refused to sing happy birthday, but he did say it quietly while looking away from Naruto, too embarrassed by the spectacle to do much more. The three of them spent the day in Naruto's apartment since Itachi decided it would be more fun to play games. Sasuke, however, knew it was in an effort to protect Naruto from the general public whose resentment toward him was probably heightened because it was the anniversary of the Nine-Tails attack.

Training with Lee was a nice break for Sasuke, who was used to holding back during the day. But against Lee, he didn't bother and they often battled it out until they both ended up on their backs unable to move. Sasuke was, regrettably, beginning to feel a real friendship with him but he still adamantly refused to meet up with Lee outside of the academy and training hours. Naruto was tiring enough for him, but Lee and Naruto together, there was no chance.

The dissatisfaction between his clan and the village seemed to stagnate, and despite Sasuke's attempts to improve it in some small way, nothing he was doing seemed to work and Itachi was keeping an even closer eye on him than ever. In his previous time as a kid, Sasuke would've loved nothing more than to have his big brother hanging around him so much, but now he was finding it overbearing. Still, he didn't say anything to discourage it and instead decided that if Itachi was going to be around all the time, then whenever he could Sasuke sought out Izumi and force them to interact. It was fun watching Itachi be flustered and helped reinforce Sasuke's determination to make sure his brother lived the life he deserved.

Sasuke and Naruto continued to try and prank Kakashi as much as possible, but it grew more and more difficult as Kakashi managed to turn their pranks back on them. It was difficult for Sasuke to hold in everything he wanted to say and do when he ended up with a disgusting mix of porridge and feathers all over his face and hair. The adult in him wanted nothing more than to retaliate brutally, but he held back and promised a lifetime for pain for his future sensei.

He didn't see Ino and Sakura again until the new year came and his mother forced him out into the festival. Both Itachi and Shisui were away on missions and Naruto had told him that he usually went somewhere with the Hokage at this time. Sasuke suspected it was to check his seal, and gave Naruto a tight nod, knowing that he would never be allowed to go with him. He hadn't been planning on leaving the house at all, but when Mikoto wanted something she usually got it. His father was working, so it was just him and his mother, which he didn't mind.

He saw Ino and Sakura from afar, and it was obvious that they were not friends anymore. Ino stuck her nose in the air when she saw Sakura and Sakura did the same. Sasuke scowled when he saw both their shoulders drop when they thought no one was looking and made up an excuse when his mother asked what was wrong. He wasn't going to tell her that he was worried about Sakura, he'd never hear the end of it. Instead, when he returned home, he had to deal with Mikoto gushing over Lee and Tenten, who they'd run into during the festival. She was so pleased that he'd apparently made even more friends, and Sasuke was content to let her feel that way and bask in her pride for a little while. It was beneficial for both of them.

If Sasuke had known that Kakashi was keeping as close an eye on him as he had been, he would have been more cautious. But Kakashi was far above his ability to track as he was and when his sensei finally confronted him, Sasuke found it difficult to regain his composure.

"What are you still doing at the academy?"

Sasuke, who was concentrating hard on his chakra control on the underside of a branch, startled at the voice coming from above him and lost his footing, falling to the ground far below. He halted his fall with a quick mid-air manoeuvre that ended with his kunai in the trunk of the great tree and halting his progress down. With a racing heart, Sasuke jumped the rest of the way down and landed in a crouch. He wanted to run, but he knew it would be a fruitless effort; Kakashi would catch him in moments. Instead, he raised to standing and put away his kunai and looked back over his shoulder to Kakashi, who was standing behind him, obviously ready to reach out and grab him if he should run.

"None of your business," Sasuke answered cooly.

Kakashi didn't respond and the tension rose. Slowly, Sasuke turned and stared up at him.

"Is it fun for you, trying to intimidate a five-year-old?" Sasuke inquired.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"You're not like your brother," he said after a moment. "There's something different about you."

Sasuke scoffed.

"Of course not," he responded. "Itachi is a genius."

"And what are you?" Kakashi asked, his eyes curious and demeanour that of an interrogator.

Sasuke paused, considering how to answer. He surmised that Kakashi had been watching him for long enough to know that his kid act was just that, an act. Still, it was imperative that Sasuke keeps under the radar, and if Kakashi repeated his suspicions to the Hokage, or worse, Danzo, he'd be in trouble.

"I have other advantages," he settled on.

"Other advantages," Kakashi repeated, not believing him. "You don't belong at the academy and you know it. So why are you still there?"

Sasuke's mouth tightened in a firm line and he turned away.

"Are you going to tell the Hokage?" He asked quietly.

Kakashi didn't respond and Sasuke looked back at him, his eyes determined.

"You won't believe me even if I tell you the truth, so why should I tell you anything?" Sasuke tried a different approach to try and understand what Kakashi was thinking.

"Because I can force it out of you, willingly or not," Kakashi threatened.

Sasuke involuntarily flinched and scowled because he did.

"You wouldn't do that," he shot back confidently. "You're already on thin ice with some of the clan because of Obito's eye. If you hurt me it'll just blow back on you."

The atmosphere around Kakashi darkened at the mention of Obito's name and Sasuke took a step back.

"I have things to protect, just like Itachi and Shisui," Sasuke blurted out, trying to stop Kakashi from either exploding or running. "I didn't mean to go to the academy early and I'm staying because it'll just be worse for my clan if more rumours spread about us being too powerful."

Kakashi, who had been listening in anger suddenly paused at hearing the end of Sasuke's explanation. He stepped back and looked down at Sasuke, who swallowed and straightened out his shirt. This younger Kakashi was not like the man he had known, the atmosphere around him was more cutting and threatening than Sasuke was used to.

"If you tell the Hokage, someone else will find out and I don't want them too," Sasuke murmured, hoping that Kakashi would be able to read between the lines.

There was a long pause and Sasuke's heart pounded in his chest as he waited for Kakashi to speak. When he did, it wasn't what Sasuke had expected.

"If you had to choose between your clan and Naruto, who would you save?"

Sasuke frowned and clenched his jaw.

"Naruto," was his whispered, guilt-ridden answer.

There was too much at stake. Naruto had to survive anything, no matter what. Without Naruto, Kaguya would never be sealed again. If Kakashi had any thoughts of what he'd said, he didn't show them. Instead, he continued his questioning.

"What about between your clan or the village?"

Sasuke's frowned deepened and he swallowed hard.

"The village," he said thickly.

If he was forced into that choice, he would honour Itachi's past choices and sacrifice himself instead. Again, he couldn't read Kakashi's thoughts.

"Naruto or Itachi?"

Sasuke froze and then glared at Kakashi.

"What's the purpose of these questions?"

"Why are you so attached to Naruto?" Kakashi prodded.

"He's my best friend," Sasuke answered truthfully.

"You could have other friends, why him?" Kakashi asked insistently. "Why some orphan that the village hates?"

Sasuke scoffed.

"One day these people will look at him and call him a hero, just you wait," Sasuke said challenging Kakashi to differ. "Naruto's going to be Hokage."

_Naruto is going to save the world, and this time, I'm going to be standing by him all the way there. I won't let him down again, not this time._

Kakashi's eyes suddenly flickered upward behind Sasuke and peered into the trees. Sasuke turned his head to look at the intruder and the moment he did he knew felt Kakashi disappear. He locked eyes with Shisui and Itachi, both of whom were staring at him with concern. This day was not going his way at all. Sasuke heaved a sigh.

"What's going on, Sasuke?" Shisui broke the silence.

"Nothing," Sasuke muttered.

Shisui and Itachi glanced at each other and Sasuke lowered his eyes to the ground.

"How long?" He murmured.

"Long enough," was Itachi's reply.

Itachi looked at Shisui and a silent understanding passed between them before Shisui was gone - gone after Kakashi, Sasuke guessed - leaving the brothers alone in the midst of the forest.

"Are you angry?" Sasuke asked quietly.

Itachi took a few steps towards him.

"No, Sasuke. I'm worried," Itachi said. "I'm worried because… you're right."

Sasuke's eyes snapped to Itachi's.

"I'm right?" He repeated, surprised.

"I keep telling you not to worry, but you don't listen and it's obvious that see more than anyone gives you credit for," Itachi said after a moment.

Sasuke swallowed and hesitantly took a few steps closer to Itachi, gazing at his face a moment before he saw the twitch in his brother's arms and ran forward into his embrace. Sasuke hugged Itachi, his eyes closing tightly as he became filled with gratitude for Itachi being his brother and undercut with fear for the future.

"Kakashi Hatake is not someone you should anger, Sasuke," Itachi whispered. "He's a very dangerous shinobi."

Sasuke could only give a short hum in response.

"Sasuke, promise me you won't do anything reckless."

Itachi's voice had a desperate tone to it.

"Promise," Sasuke replied, stepping back from his brother.

"Stay in the academy as long as you can," Itachi said. "It's a good plan."

"Only if you promise me something," Sasuke said firmly. "Don't do anything reckless and don't keep trying to protect me."

Itachi gave him a tight smile and poked his forehead.

"Let's go home."

Sasuke noticed that he didn't promise anything, but nodded and held Itachi's hand as they went. Between Kakashi apparently stalking him, his worry for Itachi and Itachi's worry for him, Sasuke was beginning to wonder how much longer he was going to be able to hide the extent of his skills from the village.

•••

Kakashi and Shisui stood in a tense silence in another part of the forest some kilometres away from where they'd left Itachi and Sasuke. The pair stared in silence, both trying to gain the measure of the other. Kakashi was Shisui's superior in age and position, but he knew that the younger Uchiha was not as far below him as many others were. There were only a few years between them and Shisui was the youngest jonin in the village. He wasn't to be underestimated. Kakashi broke the silence with a statement he knew would cause Shisui to become defensive.

"He's to observant for his own good."

Shisui's response was fierce in his eyes and tone of voice.

"We will protect him."

Kakashi couldn't manage a soft expression beneath his mask, he could only taste bitterness on his tongue.

"You'll fail."

His eye twitched beneath his headband, a reminder of just how the Uchiha protected others. He recognised the look in Shisui's eyes as his gaze hardened.

"You knew we were there," he accused Kakashi.

Shisui was right. Kakashi had known they were listening. He didn't bother to deny it and waited for Shisui to get on with whatever he wanted to say.

"How long have you been watching him? Those questions weren't random," Shisui said.

Kakashi looked at him with interest disguised as annoyance. He didn't want to give away anything to a kid, no matter the talent he had. When he didn't answer, Shisui grew openly frustrated and stepped forwards.

"Not going to answer me? Why? You're not afraid, are you, Hatake?" Shisui tried to provoke him.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, and not for the first time, questioned what it was about Sasuke Uchiha that kept drawing people to him and why the kid seemed to see more and see further than most adults could. Shisui seemed satisfied when he saw Kakashi's eyes narrow.

"Don't you think his answers were interesting?" Kakashi said lightly, shifting his stance and causing Shisui to tense at the movement. "Such odd loyalties for an Uchiha, no?"

Shisui's fist clenched.

"You don't have the right to say that, Hatake."

Kakashi almost flinched at the harsh meaning behind his words but he didn't. He kept his body carefully neutral to hide how much he wanted to lash out. He didn't understand himself why he wasn't just leaving. Even if Shisui pursued him, he would find a way to keep the kid back. Shisui was not Minato, no matter how fast he became.

"He's not like Itachi or you. Don't make his life more difficult than it needs to be," Shisui sighed.

"Like Itachi or me?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "In what way? He seems very like us."

Shisui clenched his jaw but didn't reply. The air between them was tense until he looked away from Kakashi a moment before he looked back with a different air. More tiredly, but with meaning.

"Whatever some people might think, Sasuke didn't get close to Naruto Uzumaki for any ulterior reason. We didn't even know they were friends in the beginning."

Kakashi inhaled and his eyes sharpened as he took in the defiant eyes of Shisui Uchiha, who stared back without flinching, and Kakashi believed him, but his opinion didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. He felt was being pulled into this because of the kid who wouldn't leave him alone, and village politics wasn't something he wanted anything to do with. Somehow, Kakashi had a hunch that things were just beginning. The way that a five-year-old seemed to understand the political undercurrents of the village and all those little leading comments he let drop were too much for Kakashi to simply ignore.

"Be careful, Shisui," he said, turning away. "You know what happens when people know too much."

"Don't be a stranger, Kakashi." There was a hint of amusement in his voice. "Though I doubt you could be, since you're interested now."

Kakashi turned his head back to glare at Shisui who was smirking, and disappeared in a puff of smoke and swirl of leaves.


	4. conflict and confusion

Kakashi kneeled before the Hokage. He could see the wind blowing his robes a little before they settled back down, and at that moment he raised his head. They were not meeting in the office of the Hokage; this was not a discussion that an audience should be privy to. Understanding that from the look on his face when Kakashi had arrived at the window of his office the previous day, the Hokage had given him coordinates to a rooftop in the industrial outskirts of Konoha for their dawn rendezvous.

"So. I expect this is a rather serious matter, considering the troubled look in your eyes," the Hokage began, turning around to face him. "What is it you wish to discuss?"

Kakashi rose to stand. Formalities weren't his favourite thing, and since they were in private, they mattered little.

"It's about the Uchiha."

The Hokage's gaze sharpened ever so slightly at him.

"A topic many wish to discuss these days," he said, his voice holding a clear tone of caution.

Kakashi continued, though he was not as certain as he appeared or sounded.

"Specifically Sasuke Uchiha."

With that, he saw immediately that the Hokage's interest was piqued and Kakashi's own suspicions that the Hokage wasn't blind to the strange boy were confirmed.

"Oh?"

Kakashi went to speak and then closed his mouth, his jaw clenching slightly as the image of Sasuke's desperate eyes suddenly flashed across his mind. He was silent for a moment, then ignoring the odd settling of doubt mingled with concern in his gut.

"He's an odd kid," Kakashi eventually said, frowning.

The Hokage gave a surprised chuckled, obviously not expecting that exact wording. The brief flash of amusement vanished in an instant and the Hokage looked at him expectantly as he responded.

"Sasuke does certainly seem to be an intelligent and determined child."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly.

"It's more than that," he said with some bubbling frustration. He knew he was missing something. "He has interestingly defined loyalties. More than shinobi three times his age. You might be interested to know what they are, as Hokage."

"Would you care to share how you discovered this information?" The Third asked.

Kakashi shrugged.

"I asked him."

The Hokage didn't believe it was as simple as that and gave a disapproving glare.

"You confronted a child?" The Third asked sharply. "An Uchiha child, no less. _Fugaku's_ son."

Kakashi chose not to respond to that admonishment and query.

"His priorities are Naruto, his brother, and the village."

The Third was silent as he considered. Kakashi knew that by his not mentioning Sasuke's clan, a clan famous for their fierce loyalty, the Hokage would understand that it was a telling and important thing, particularly for a child as young as Sasuke and him being the son of the clan head.

"And what else did you discover about him?" The Third asked, taking the information more seriously.

There was a part of Kakashi that felt utterly ridiculous the two of them were discussing a five-year-old as if he were the most important thing in the village, but he had a hunch that the kid was, in fact, one of the most important people in the village, somehow, and it was clear that the Hokage seemed to think the same thing. He wondered what the old man had already seen that he didn't seem inclined to share.

"He has an uncanny understanding of how the village works," Kakashi informed him. "He's adamant about not drawing more attention than he already has by staying under the radar at the academy when he's far more advanced than he lets on and seems to be attempting to form relationships with the other clans, particularly the Nara. "

The Third heaved a sigh and Kakashi could practically read on his face that he was wondering why it was always the children who did the most unexpected things.

"And then there is Naruto," the Third said with a grimace.

Kakashi remained silent.

"Kakashi."

The Third's voice became stern and authoritative and instinctively, Kakashi stood a little taller.

"The village is heading into uncertain times. Discontent breeds conflict and ambition paired with power is a dangerous combination." He paused. "It would be wise to keep persons of interest in your line of sight. Who knows how the innocence of a child could affect the future."

Kakashi could read between the lines easily enough. Things were not as peaceful in the village as they appeared, which anyone in his position should already have been aware of, and it was likely to get worse. He was being given permission to keep an eye on Sasuke, on the Uchiha, on whatever he felt necessary.

"I guess it's lucky Pakkun likes kids," was all he said before he disappeared and left the Hokage to his thoughts.

•••

Sasuke was growing annoyed at the slow pace of his training. It was hard to keep his mind clear and to not go down the darker thought paths he'd ventured before, and seek out ways of gaining power more quickly. The easiest way was to simply have his Sharingan activated, but Sasuke knew the cost that emotional toll would take on him and as much as he craved the power of his eyes, he also had a healthier respect and reluctance for them now. Old habits were hard to break. On the days he was particularly frustrated, he took it out on Naruto, which he knew wasn't fair and always ended in a screaming match between them. In the past, he doubted they ever would've fully recovered from it, but now they had a different relationship. Sasuke was less concerned with his pride in regards to Naruto. As children did, they made up quickly, as if they'd never fought in the first place.

Shisui's training was helpful. Because his cousin had decided that Sasuke didn't need to work on anything in regards to using excessive chakra - because he didn't have that much to begin with, and he didn't need it because he was still only five-and-a-half - he focused on details and body control, which helped Sasuke in his weekly bouts against Rock Lee. Rock Lee's progress was not as fast as Sasuke had assumed it would be. It turned out that he was more like Naruto than Sasuke thought; he was a slow learner and a loser. They were good traits, he supposed, in people with determination like Lee and Naruto.

It was a few weeks after the confrontation with Kakashi in the forest that he first noticed Pakkun, and it was in that moment that he realised that Pakkun had probably been trailing him since before Kakashi had confronted him. It was the only way that his sensei could have known some things about him since Sasuke knew he was still busy with ANBU and not in the village so often that he could spare so much time to spy on a five-year-old. Once Pakkun saw that Sasuke was aware of him, he didn't bother to hide any longer. Somehow, Sasuke assumed that he had managed to gain a certain level of respect for his apparent intellect from the pug and maybe even his owner. If he didn't, Pakkun would have disappeared instead of openly becoming a companion of sorts. Or that he was interesting enough to need to be monitored. He wasn't sure how concerned he should have been at that until a more sinister thought occurred to Sasuke; that this was a subtle message to Danzo that the Uchiha were being watched by Kakashi, and by extension, the Third. He tried not to let it trouble him too much.

The good thing about coming from a prominent shinobi family who had expectations of their children was that Sasuke was expected to take care of himself and so wasn't kept under their thumb as much as he might have been. If his mother was worried, she would send out Shisui or Itachi to come and get him, or one of the other clansmen, and then scold him enough to make him feel overly guilty for everything he'd ever done wrong. Staying out after the academy was finished didn't worry his mother, and when no one was there to pick him up from the academy, he headed into the forest to training or think or just be alone. Of course, when Pakkun was there he wasn't really alone.

His favourite days were when Itachi came to get him, but after what happened in the forest with Kakashi, there was a tension between them. Itachi was worried about him and Sasuke hated that, although he understood it since he was also worried about Itachi. He wanted so badly to just tell Itachi everything; about who he was, about what was coming, about the danger he was going to be in. But that wasn't possible, and it would only add to Itachi's anxiety and his own inner conflict with the clan and the village and what his place in it all was. Sasuke didn't want to add more to his brothers' burdens than he already had. He had to take care of those things himself.

But those worries were not the only things that Sasuke realised Itachi was struggling with. A few months had passed, but Itachi was still suffering from Tobi murdering his teammate. He hadn't seen how much pain that event had caused Itachi in the past, but now that he was looking, and Sasuke could see that Itachi hadn't - and likely wouldn't - fully recover from it. His brother was far gentler than anyone else could see. It was why Sasuke was so attached to him. It wasn't until he happened to be walking around the village one day and saw his brother by the cemetery and then witnessed Danzo's speaking with him that Sasuke finally grasped just how long the man had been planting the seeds for the massacre into his brothers' mind. It was like he'd been struck was a metal bat; he'd never felt more anger and more loathing than he did at that moment, not even when he had been lost in the dark roads he'd once traveled on. It took hours to calm down.

In the evening, when his parents were asleep and Itachi was in bed, Sasuke padded softly to his brothers' room.

"Are you asleep?" Sasuke whispered into the darkened room.

"No," was Itachi's soft response.

Sasuke crawled into Itachi's bed, and his brother turned around so they were facing each other.

"What's wrong?" Itachi asked him.

Sasuke took a deep breath.

"I don't like Councilman Shimura," he said bluntly.

Itachi seemed surprised and Sasuke grimaced.

"He doesn't have a good feeling. I don't trust him. You shouldn't listen to what he says."

"Councilman Shimura is a very experienced shinobi who is one of the village leaders. What are you saying, Sasuke?"

Sasuke ground his teeth in frustration.

"Not everyone who has experience and power should be listened too," he said. "Sometimes bad people act good so that good people will do what they say."

Itachi was quiet for a moment.

"Sasuke…" he trailed off. "Sometimes it's hard to believe that you're only five."

Sasuke swallowed.

"Probably people said the same things about you," he said, trying to joke and change the subject.

Itachi gave a low chuckle.

"Maybe."

He gave Sasuke a searching look, and Sasuke looked away uncomfortably.

"Unless you adopted a puppy that we don't know about, I'm sure you know who that pug belongs too," Itachi said, suddenly serious. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

Sasuke froze a moment and then relaxed.

"Kakashi's just paranoid," he muttered.

Itachi didn't seem pleased.

"Kakashi is _monitoring_ you, Sasuke. This is not a game," Itachi stressed.

"If Pakkun is following me it's because Kakashi told him too… and he's not hiding it anymore. It probably that means that the Hokage is too," Sasuke said quietly. He glanced at Itachi, and could barely make out the concerned and almost stunned expression on his face. "But the Hokage doesn't want anything bad to happen to us or to Naruto, so it's okay," Sasuke added quickly.

Itachi was quiet a moment, seeming to process what he said.

"By 'us' I suppose you mean the clan?"

Sasuke nodded and Itachi sighed.

"Nothing bad is going to happen," he murmured. "Please just try to enjoy your childhood. Stop growing up so fast."

Itachi reached up and gave Sasuke a pat on the head and ruffled his hair a little. Sasuke wriggled to get out of reach.

"'Tachi," Sasuke groaned.

Itachi gave a small chuckle.

"I'll always be your big brother, Sasuke."

Sasuke winced, hit with memories he wanted to erase.

"I know," Sasuke murmured. "No matter what happens, I'll _always_ believe in you."

He knew Itachi felt the weight in his words, though Sasuke knew he wouldn't understand why there was a weight to them. A moment of silence hung between them and Sasuke wriggled closer to him, clutching his shirt in his small hands, his usually contained fear of losing Itachi again making him need to be close to him. Itachi didn't understand, but he still hugged Sasuke as they fell asleep. When Sasuke woke up in the morning, Itachi was gone. For a little while, Sasuke stared at the empty space in the bed with a heavy and anxious feeling. Despite knowing so much more about Itachi, and how he lived and why - despite all that he'd learned, Sasuke never knew what his brother was thinking.

It was almost too much of a coincidence for Sasuke to run into Danzo Shimura while wandering the village so soon after he'd spoken to Itachi, and as luck would have it, Pakkun wasn't around either as far as he could tell. Sasuke swallowed his feelings as the man stopped him, asking why he was out all alone.

"I'm going to meet a friend," Sasuke replied in his most childlike manner.

"Ah, is that so?"

He put on a display of disappointment that would manipulate any child into feeling guilty. Sasuke was not any child.

"Could you spare a few moments of conversation for an old man like myself? Your friend can wait, can't he, Sasuke Uchiha?"

Sasuke reacted the way he was supposed, politely and deferentially.

"Of course, Councilman," he replied. "But I can't be late."

Sasuke didn't like the smile the man gave him.

"It's important to keep your promises, I understand," Danzo said. "Shall we walk in the direction you were heading?"

Sasuke gave a little nod.

"I'm surprised you know who I am," Danzo said easily.

Sasuke didn't look at him and continued walking by his side in the direction he was going to meet Naruto. His nerves were beginning to make his heart beat rapidly.

"You were there when I was tested for the academy," Sasuke replied.

"It's good you remember that," Danzo said. "You did very well on the exam. Are you happy to be in the academy?"

"Yes. I'm learning lots. I'll be a shinobi just like Itachi," Sasuke replied with the enthusiasm of a child.

He swung his arms a little to hide the fidgeting of his fingers as they walked.

"That's good to hear. Your brother is very talented and intelligent. I hear you take after him in smarts as well?"

It sounded like a question, but Sasuke knew it wasn't. He already knew that Sasuke was smart. Still, Sasuke couldn't give up his pretense.

"Itachi's the best," he replied, forcing a happy grin. "No one is as smart as him."

Danzo gave a low chuckle. Sasuke couldn't trust anything that sounded genuine from him.

"I hope that you will grow into a shinobi like your brother. Itachi's a special boy, he understands the value of the village above everything."

"We are Leaf Shinobi," Sasuke replied innocently. "We fight for the Leaf village."

He fought his instinct to cringe away and reach for a kunai when Danzo's hand came down to pat his head.

"Good boy," he said easily. "Well, this old man is tired. Thanks for talking with me, Sasuke. Don't be late to meet your friend."

Sasuke forced a slow and polite departure running off to seek the comfort of Naruto's brash loudness. The feeling of unease from their meeting stayed with him for days and the worry that he was already too exposed, too involved, had drawn too much attention increased until he was walking around with constant nausea.

It turned out that once Sasuke had met Sakura, it was impossible to avoid her. He should have known it would work out this way. Somehow, they had always managed to find each other, although that had been because she was always chasing him. There were some moments he felt a twinge of something close to regret when he thought about her, about everything they'd been through and where they had been going. Before making the choice to go back in time, Sasuke had been bridging the gap he'd forced between them. Honestly speaking, and he'd never admit it aloud, that was what he regretted most about his time-travel decision. That he'd taken away an opportunity to experience what life with her might have been like.

Now, regrettably, he kept finding her without even looking. He would catch a glimpse of pink hair in the crowd, he would see her playing the park, or eating with her parents. When he was with Naruto, Naruto always wanted to say hello, but somehow Sasuke kept finding excuses not to speak to her. It was only when he hung back from Sakura that he noticed Hinata hiding and watching Naruto. He felt conflicted about whether or not he could see his own actions in what she was doing, although he had to admit that Hinata was far purer than he ever was or would be. It didn't make him feel good to realise he was being completely pathetic. He could only hope that Shisui or his brother never noticed. Ever.

It was merely a coincidence the day that Sasuke saw her heading towards the forest, humming happily as she skipped and plucked some flowers as she went. He paused when he saw her, unsure whether or not to go one his way or approach her. They were close to the forest's edge, but as if sensing someone was there, she suddenly turned around and when her eyes landed on him, she went bright red.

Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a few steps over to her.

"S-Sasuke," she stammered.

He nodded to her in greeting and they both stood there a little awkwardly, unsure what to say. Sasuke, determined to not turn into Hinata, glanced at the flowers in her hands.

"You like…. flowers?" He asked hesitantly.

Sakura blushed again and nodded in response before more silence. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably.

"H-how is the academy?" Sakura asked nervously.

Sasuke shrugged, and Sakura looked down. Sasuke grit his teeth and looked away.

"You should work hard," he said after a moment. "If you work hard you'll be a great shinobi. Bye."

He turned away and walked quickly off, not bothering to look back. The conversation was so awkward and stilted, he shoved his hands in his pockets and only paused for a slight moment when he heard her call out a soft 'thank you' to him, although he didn't think it was necessary. He was going to make it a point to avoid her from now on. He couldn't act like a natural almost six-year-old, and he knew that she had clouded judgment when it came to him so it didn't seem right to take advantage of that. He hoped that she'd hear him, and maybe instead of spending so much time focusing on things that weren't that important, she'd be stronger faster and their team would be even better when the time came. But that was a long way into the future, and Sasuke had other things to worry about.

Every milestone that passed and nothing had visibly changed made Sasuke's worries grow. Itachi had become a chunin earlier in the year and was consistently proving to be a great source of pride for the clan. He hadn't said much of anything to Sasuke about what he'd said about Danzo, and Sasuke hadn't told him about Danzo approaching him.

Itachi became busier, and since Shisui had been a jonin for a while, Sasuke's time with both of them became limited. He instead focused on Shikamaru and Naruto, abandoning the failed plan of bridging the gap between his clan and the other clans through the adults. As far as he had seen, it had had no effect. With Shikamaru, a comment here and there that would reach Shikaku was far more useful. Not to mention that there were times when he knew that Pakkun was around and listening. Everything he said was going to get back to Kakashi as well, and maybe the Hokage. It was a risk, but Sasuke needed to take risks, or nothing was going to change.

He kept to himself at the academy, pulling back from Lee and TenTen. It was lonelier than he'd expected. He told Lee that for the time being he needed to stop their training together, and Lee was visibly and dramatically upset at hearing it, but to Sasuke's surprise, he didn't try to force the issue. Probably, Sasuke realised, there were things that Lee needed to experience on his own just like Naruto so he could grow. Sasuke's inner conflict with his unintended influence began to grow. He wondered if he should have fought harder against his father's wishes to go to the academy. One afternoon after class was finished, Sasuke retreated into the forest, pleased to put some distance between himself and Neji Hyuga, whose glare and prickling attitude he was sick of. Pakkun had followed him from the moment he left the academy grounds.

"You hide when someone from my clan is close by," Sasuke commented to the pug.

Pakkun settled on the grass, crossing his front paws and resting his chin on them.

"Do I?"

Sasuke laid on the grass beside Pakkun, his backpack resting at the base of a tree close by, and looked at the sky through the thick trees above them. He gave a little snort and smirk.

"I bet it's because Kakashi doesn't want my clan to know he's watching me," Sasuke said dryly.

"You talk too much kid," Pakkun sighed.

Sasuke closed his eyes. He didn't realise he'd fallen asleep until he felt Pakkun nudge him awake. Sasuke was immediately alert, glancing at Pakkun who backed into the shadows of the trees, the look on his face was serious enough for Sasuke to know this wasn't a joke. Sasuke followed him, casting out his senses to figure out who was coming. He picked up his backpack and put it on his back, knowing that it would protect him a little at the very least and that he couldn't leave it in the open and announce their exact location.

"You should get out of here, pup," Pakkun whispered. "They're too strong for you."

"How many?" Sasuke whispered back.

"Enough. Let's go, kid."

Pakkun nodded to him, and Sasuke nodded back. Pakkun ran off and he followed, taking off at a sprint, weaving through the trees and back towards the village, until Pakkun suddenly veered off course. Sasuke panted hard, glancing back a moment to see if he could catch a glimpse of their pursuers. All he saw was a flash of white and was struck with fear when he realised it was an ANBU mask. Pakkun pulled up suddenly, and Sasuke stopped and got into a defensive stance. His hands clenched at his side and eyes darting around. Pakkun took guard around him.

"Don't worry, kid. He's almost here," Pakkun growled under his breath.

Even though he knew Kakashi was coming, Sasuke's panic didn't subside. The pursuers finally showed themselves, three of them, surrounding Sasuke and Pakkun. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, _ROOT,_ his mind hissed. Why were they chasing him?

"Who are you? What do you want?" Sasuke asked loudly. "I'm the son of Fugaku Uchiha, what do you want with me?"

One stepped forward and then stepped back again suddenly. Sasuke felt the presence they'd sensed a moment later.

"Good question, kid. What does ROOT want with a brat like you?"

Sasuke spun around and saw Kakashi casually stroll out of the trees, hands in his pockets, shoulders a little slouched. If it wasn't for the killing intent rolling off him, he might have looked like he'd just stumbled upon something interesting in the woods on his afternoon walk. There was silence.

"Something caught your tongue?" Kakashi asked the agents who were yet to move or speak.

Sasuke retreated to his side.

"I asked you a question." Kakashi's voice was threatening.

"Forgive us for frightening you, Sasuke Uchiha," one of them said. "Our master would like to speak with you. We simply wished to bring you before him."

Sasuke clenched his jaw.

"A bit of an aggressive invitation," Pakkun muttered.

Sasuke had to agree. They didn't want to just bring him before Danzo: Danzo wanted him afraid. It was an easy ploy to figure out. Scare the child, console him and win over his trust. Sasuke was not that simple and it bit at his pride that Danzo thought it would work.

"I don't want to meet your master, whoever that is," Sasuke said, the tremble in his voice not as much of an act as he wanted it to be. "If someone wants to talk to me they can come to my house and ask my parents."

Kakashi placed a protective hand on Sasuke's head, making his eyes widen with surprise at the gesture.

"You heard the kid. So why don't you go back to your master," he said the word with sarcasm, "and I'll go report this… harassment of a village child, a _noble clan_ child, to the Hokage. Does that sound fair?"

There was a tense silence and then without a word, the ROOT agents disappeared and Sasuke's legs gave out. He stared at the ground in surprise. He hadn't realised how afraid he'd been. He'd forgotten what that really felt like, and he had never felt more the age of his body than he did then. He could feel Kakashi and Pakkun staring at him, but he couldn't bring himself to look at them. He lifted his arm and stared at his trembling hand, before clenching it into a fist. He shouldn't let himself get so worked up. He could withstand any mind games Danzo had to play with him, but the sudden development had shocked him. Pakkun appeared in his line of sight, his wet nose bopped Sasuke's fist.

"You all right, kid?" He asked, concern in his eyes.

Sasuke stared at him for a moment and then got to his feet and looked at Kakashi. Kakashi was looking back into the trees, his eyes dark.

"Who's their master? They're ANBU but their master doesn't seem to be the Hokage," Sasuke said.

Kakashi glanced down at him.

"That's not for you to worry about. I doubt you'll see them again."

Sasuke clenched his jaw.

"They wanted to take me away. I think I deserve to know more."

"You don't _deserve_ to know anything," Kakashi retorted darkly. He gave a sigh. "Pakkun will take you home. I'm going to see the Hokage."

"Fine," Sasuke muttered. "This is getting complicated."

Both Kakashi and Pakkun turned a sharp gaze on him. Kakashi kneeled down in front of him and Sasuke wondered at his strange change in attitude towards him.

"You're a smart kid, Sasuke, but you'll get yourself killed and Naruto will be alone again. Is that what you want?"

Sasuke flinched at the harshness in his tone and the reminder of what he was doing here, what his purpose was. He scrunched his nose and gave Kakashi a cold look.

"Why are you acting like some kind of guardian? Don't use me to lessen your own guilt."

Kakashi's eye flashed and Sasuke trembled from the threatening aura he suddenly emitted.

"Kid, you really talk too much," Pakkun sighed. "Boss. Don't forget what just happened."

Kakashi glared at Sasuke, and Sasuke glanced away from him, his hands tightening on the straps of his backpack. There were few people that Sasuke trusted, and Kakashi was one of them. He needed to stop antagonising him, but it was because he trusted him that he spoke too much; Pakkun was right.

"Thank you," Sasuke muttered reluctantly.

He felt the shift in the atmosphere around Kakashi and glanced back at the man. He was still not the Kakashi that Sasuke had known, but Sasuke could see that man in his eyes for a moment. Clearly, Kakashi hadn't expected it either. He let out a sigh and pushed himself to his feet.

"Pakkun will take you home," he repeated, turning away.

"Kakashi," Sasuke spoke out hesitantly. Kakashi paused and looked back over his shoulder. Sasuke swallowed. "Will - will you listen to me when I ask you to? Do you swear?"

Kakashi stared at him for a moment and then gave a slow nod before disappearing.

Sasuke didn't see any more ROOT agents, just as Kakashi had predicted. He didn't tell his family about the encounter, and nor, it appeared, did Kakashi or the Hokage. He was now firmly trapped within the secrets of the village with no escape. He needed to proceed carefully. Kakashi had never been predictable, but as he was now, he was more volatile. He'd agreed for whatever reason to one day listen to him when Sasuke asked. It was a step forward, but Sasuke wasn't satisfied. Sasuke became so wrapped up in his own troubles that he didn't notice that Naruto was having more bad days until he exploded and started fighting Sasuke. Sasuke was taken aback, but he fought back. They grappled in the park, with Naruto screaming about how he wasn't a good friend and Sasuke yelling back that he didn't know what he was talking about. The fight ended with Sasuke punching Naruto in the face and then holding him down.

Naruto stared up at him, glaring as Sasuke glared back and then Sasuke relaxed and Naruto started bawling. Sasuke sighed and sat on the ground while Naruto sobbed loudly, rubbing his eyes. He waited for him to settle down a little before asking what was wrong. Somehow through his sobs, Naruto expelled some of the negativity that had been building up inside him. The eyes of the villagers, the stares, the confusion he felt. Sasuke sat beside him and listened silently, knowing that anything he had to say wouldn't have a good effect. He hated seeing Naruto going through this again, but as hard as it was to watch, Sasuke knew it was necessary for his development as a person. But Sasuke was there, he was there beside Naruto, and Naruto wasn't so alone this time. It was something. It had to be something, otherwise, Sasuke didn't know what he was doing this all for.

"I'll always be your friend," Sasuke said quietly to Naruto when he'd stopped sobbing. "No matter what happens, I believe in you."

Naruto's eyes watered again and his blubbering started and instead of the hug Sasuke was expecting, he just gave a little smile and all the tension seemed to release from Naruto's body, and Sasuke realised that he just needed to hear that. Sometimes Naruto just needed to hear that he wasn't alone.

"You're still a loser though," Sasuke grinned.

"Are you two fighting again?"

Both Naruto and Sasuke turned to see Itachi, smiling softly down at them.

"Itachi, Sasuke's super mean to me!" Naruto complained.

Sasuke scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, crybaby."

"HEY!"

Itachi didn't bother to break up the fight that broke out between them, and every now and again, Sasuke caught a distant look in Itachi's eyes.

During his first year at the academy, Sasuke had garnered a reputation for outsmarting bigger and stronger opponents who foolishly targeted him. It became widespread that he wasn't like Itachi, who had avoided fighting in the academy; Sasuke was not afraid of getting his hands dirty. It bothered him a little that he was targeted by idiots for his ancestry and because of the reputation of brother, but when he discovered that there were those who targeted - or avoided - him because of his friendship with Naruto, he grew truly angry and frustrated. He was surprised, however, that TenTen and Lee didn't seem to care very much. One day, when his curiosity had gotten the better of him, he asked them what they thought. The question surprised the pair since Sasuke rarely initiated conversation. It was obvious immediately that TenTen was uneasy and uncomfortable, but what she said surprised him.

"Well, lots of people say bad things about him, but if you're friends with him I guess he might not be so bad."

Lee agreed and Sasuke didn't understand how they had such a high opinion of him when he hadn't bothered to be particularly nice to either of them.

"Sasuke Uchiha is someone who sticks up for his friends!" Lee thrust his thumbs up in Sasuke's face. "I admire that!"

It was disconcerting to hear that. Sasuke didn't think he'd ever heard someone describe him that way, although he was reminded of what his father had said to him the first day he'd seen him again, about developing a sense of justice. It was surprisingly nice to hear.

His first year at the academy came to a close without too much ceremony. He had made sure he landed firmly in the upper section of the class, but not first. Neji finished first, throwing mocking and superior looks to him that Sasuke ignored, which served only to further infuriate Neji. He had a feeling that this tense relationship was going to be troublesome in the future. His family was sufficiently pleased with his results, but as he expected he still heard comments from others about him not being as good as Itachi. Surprisingly, he didn't hear it from his father. Fugaku barely said anything at all other than making a comment about hoping that he learned how to not overwork himself. It was irritating that there wasn't more communication between them. Sasuke had thought that perhaps the gap between them had been closing, but things didn't seem any different, except that he felt less compared to Itachi. Small progress, but there were times when it just didn't seem like it was enough. When he was found sulking about his father, he was comforted by his mother, which eased him. Mikoto didn't often tell Sasuke about Fugaku, but what she did say was meaningful. It was nice to hear that his father was actually proud of him, but he wanted to hear it from Fugaku's own lips.

Sasuke's sixth birthday was celebrated with his family with the addition of Shisui, Naruto and - at his mother's instance - Rock Lee and TenTen. Sasuke made a deal with her, that if he was being forced to invite those two, she had to invite the Nara and Akimichi's as well. And so, Sasuke's home was filled with an eclectic mixture of people that he'd never imagined would enter his home, ever. TenTen, Lee, and Naruto were all quite awkward with each other, but upon seeing Naruto's interactions with Sasuke's family, Shikamaru and Chouji, Lee and TenTen seemed to relax around him and Sasuke felt some of his worries lessen.

With Naruto distracted with Lee and Chouji, Sasuke was able to take a step back and observe the adults. His mother was playing hostess with the Akimichi and Nara clan heads, whilst his father was a little standoffish. He frowned at seeing that and decided to take matters into his own hands, aware that Itachi and Shisui - who was busy with the two balls of energy, Naruto and Lee - and also Shikamaru, were all watching him. He approached Shikaku and Chousa, politely thanking them for coming to his birthday and letting their sons come as well. Both were friendly in their responses, offering congratulations and remarking on how well he'd done at the academy for being the youngest. Sasuke accepted their remarks and parted with a remark that he'd learned at the academy that all the clans are important, and every one of them has a different role to play in the protection and prospering of the village, and that he hoped that the Uchiha could continue to count on the Nara and Akimichi in the future, just like they could count on the Uchiha.

"We are all comrades who bleed for the Leaf," he finished.

There was a pause before Chousa smiled kindly and gave a chuckle, telling Fugaku that he was lucky to have two intelligent sons to lead the clan one day. Sasuke could only hope that the glint in Shikaku's eye wasn't suspicion, but thought and consideration for his words.

Shisui, Itachi and Sasuke walked Naruto home, and he was hyperactive, yelling about how excited he was to start at the academy in a few months, and how he it was super cool that he and Sasuke could finally be ninja's together and so much more that Sasuke eventually gave Shisui pleading eyes to distract Naruto. Shisui's eyes gave him a 'you owe me' response and Sasuke fell back in step with Itachi.

"Have you seen much of Kakashi lately?" Itachi asked quietly.

Sasuke shook his head.

"You spoke well, by the way." Sasuke looked at him questioningly, and Itachi gave a soft smile. "To the clan heads."

"Oh. Well. I just said what I was thinking," Sasuke mumbled. He paused, and Itachi looked back at him. Sasuke bit his lip. "Tachi… do you trust Kakashi?"

Itachi stared at him for a moment.

"He is a powerful shinobi with a complicated reputation. I do not know. As a fellow shinobi of the Leaf, I trust in his loyalty to the village."

Sasuke frowned.

"I trust him with my life," he said firmly.

This time, Itachi frowned.

"Why are you so concerned with him? What has he done to earn your trust? He threatened you."

"He saved me from ROOT."

Itachi froze, then gripped Sasuke by the arm, threw him over his shoulder, and transported him away. Sasuke allowed himself to be carried by Itachi, squeezing his eyes closed and silently apologising to his brother. Itachi returned him back to the Uchiha compound and in a darkened corner close to their house, he demanded to know what Sasuke meant. Sasuke calmly explained what had happened, and while Itachi listened, he struggled to control his facial muscles.

"Tachi, listen to me," Sasuke said, gripping his brother's shirt. "You can't say anything. You can't. If you say something then _he'll know_. He'll know and things might get worse for the clan."

Itachi pulled Sasuke close to him in a crushing hug.

"Let's promise to stick together, okay, Tachi? Just the two of us, okay?" Sasuke said, muffled by his brother's shirt.

Itachi suddenly thrust him behind his back, kunai drawn and Sharingan activated. Sasuke blinked in surprise, and then Itachi let out a sigh and relaxed. A second later, Shisui's quiet voice broke through the night.

"It's just me."

He looked between them with concern.

"This is an odd place to meet."

"Is Naruto at home?" Sasuke stepped out from behind Itachi.

Shisui nodded.

"He's a bit upset you disappeared though."

Sasuke felt a twinge of guilt. He looked up to see Itachi staring hard ahead in thought. Shisui's eyes flickered between them.

"You should get home," he said. "It's late."

Sasuke tugged Itachi's hand and Itachi glanced down at him, his gaze suddenly softening. He reached up a hand and tapped him on the forehead.

"Happy birthday, Sasuke," he said.

Sasuke nodded, suddenly feeling like crying for some reason. He understood that Itachi wasn't going to come home yet.

"Be safe," he replied quietly.

He walked home alone. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd made the right choice when months ago he'd decided not to tell Itachi anything. There was only one person Itachi would go to see now, and Sasuke knew Kakashi would not be happy at all. But, if telling his brother meant that it would have an effect on how much influence Danzo had on his mind, then Sasuke thought it was worth it. No matter the risk, because right now, Danzo was more of a threat to Itachi and the Uchiha than Obito.

•••

"What happened?" Shisui asked as soon as Sasuke was gone.

Itachi stood, his jaw clenched.

"Sasuke being Sasuke," he replied.

Shisui breathed in deeply and nodded. 'Sasuke being Sasuke' had become their phrase to express the odd behaviours of the boy. It had taken some time to observe him, but both of them had come to the conclusion that Sasuke had somehow changed from the happy, a little prideful but pleasant boy he had been, to a more serious, mature and almost scarily intelligent child. They didn't know what had happened to cause the change, but something clearly had. Sasuke put on a decent act for the general public, but it had been slipping more and more in front of the two of them. Whether conscious or unconscious, he stopped phrasing his sentences in a childish manner and spoke as if he was years older than he was. But the troubling thing was that he seemed to have an understanding of the clan, the village and shinobi life that most people didn't have. Sasuke saw and comprehended everything. Still, it was a comfort to both Itachi and Shisui that he was still very much a child at times, and still attached to Itachi in the way he always had been.

The sudden involvement of Kakashi Hatake in Sasuke's life was confronting and confusing. Why Sasuke seemed as attached to him as he did them was baffling. To the knowledge of either of them, Sasuke had never had anything to do with Kakashi. They had thought it was that Sasuke had heard rumours within the clan about his eye, but that now seemed doubtful.

"What did he tell you? Why did you leave?" Shisui asked.

Itachi's face hardened.

"I need to see Kakashi."

Shisui raised an eyebrow.

"At this time of night?"

Itachi nodded stiffly. Shisui stepped forward and put his hands on his young friends' shoulders. Itachi, Shisui thought, was just like Sasuke: it was easy to forget how old they were. Itachi was only just eleven, but he was far more intelligent and powerful than shinobi double his age.

"Take a breath, cousin. It's late and you're worked up. I don't think that's a good idea."

"What do you think he sees that we don't?" Itachi asked suddenly, clear worry in his eyes. "Why is he involving himself in things the way he is? I don't understand."

Shisui couldn't offer an answer. He didn't understand either. Neither of them could deny the feeling of a building undercurrent around Sasuke.

"When he's ready, he'll tell us," Shisui said.

He wasn't sure he believed it, but he had to believe something. Itachi looked up to the sky and Shisui stepped back.

"Go home to your brother, Itachi," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Itachi didn't reply and Shisui left, knowing the moment he did, Itachi would be gone. He couldn't stop his cousin from doing what he wanted, all he could do was watch over them both until they needed him, and he would be there for them. He'd never just let something happen ever again.

•••

It was rare for him to have a house call, and rarer still for one this late at night, but the moment Kakashi returned from the bathroom, his hands feeling raw from scrubbing them he saw the figure in his window. The small figure and red eyes in his window were unmistakable, although his mind screamed in shock and fear that it was someone long dead, he knew his visitor was Itachi Uchiha. He slowly made his way over to open it and Itachi entered the room softly, emanating an aura of concern and frustration. It seemed that the little brat had spilled the beans.

"I hope you're here to thank me and not stab me with that kunai," he said flippantly, wandering into his living room. "You must have some skill as a sensor to find me."

Itachi followed quietly, putting away his weapons as he did.

"It seems I owe you a debt," he murmured, just loud enough for Kakashi to hear him.

Kakashi turned and they stood some feet apart in the room facing each other. Kakashi studied the boy, less of a brat than his brother, but still a brat to him.

"I don't want anything from the Uchiha," Kakashi replied firmly.

He had enough. Itachi's gaze flickered to his closed eye for a moment and then back to his chest. Kakashi sighed with annoyance.

"What are you doing here?"

Curiosity and irritation were fighting within Kakashi. He was tired, he was still reeling from his nightmare, he wanted to be alone, but somehow these damn brats kept invading his life. He was beginning to find himself actually worrying about them at times. It wasn't pleasant. Itachi, unlike Sasuke, was not very easy to read. Kakashi hadn't had that much to do with him, but he had been observing for some time and heard the rumours. Cold, calculating. A prodigy. Anti-social. Similar to what people said about him, but unlike him, those comments were false. The shinobi who said those things had clearly never seen Itachi with Sasuke, or Shisui. Sasuke seemed to be Itachi's only safe haven, but when his little annoying brother wasn't around, Itachi was quiet and withdrawn, calm and collected. Usually. But standing in Kakashi's sparse living room, Itachi looked every bit the worried brother, the eleven-year-old he was.

"He told me not to trust Danzo weeks before the incident," Itachi revealed.

Kakashi didn't show his surprise, although he was surprised, and when he recalled Sasuke's behaviour on that day, he realised that Sasuke had known exactly who the 'master' of those shinobi was. Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"He told me he trusts you with his life," the Uchiha continued.

Again, Kakashi didn't show any outward reaction, but he was affected by the statement. He shouldn't be trusted with the lives of comrades and they shouldn't trust him, not with his track record.

"What has he asked of you?" Itachi asked, a desperation in his Sharingan eyes.

Kakashi stared at Itachi.

"This is not a topic of conversation that you should speak about, ever," he answered. "Who knows where my allegiances lie."

Itachi gave a faint smile.

"The pug following my brother tells a different story."

Itachi seemed to relax a little, and Kakashi decided it was time for the kid to get out.

"Things are not always what they seem in the village," Kakashi said. "You would be wise with withhold judgment and stay wary of the true intentions of those around you."

"Including you?"

"That's all I have to say. Go home, Itachi."

Kakashi turned back to his bedroom and left him in the room alone, a moment later he heard the faint click of the window latch and Itachi's presence was gone. He glanced at the picture above his bed of Minato-sensei, Obito, and Rin, focusing on Obito for a moment.

"Well, at least they're not as idiotic as you," he murmured into the darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> cross-posted from ff.net


End file.
